From the loss to Uzbekistan, U23 Vietnam (right) needs to improve its limitations to achieve good results in the quarterfinals – Photo: VFF
Vietnamese football reached the quarterfinals of the 2007 Asian Cup, won the 2008 AFF Cup… and many other memorable milestones. But the miracle of reaching the 2018 U23 Asia final in China always holds a special position.
That year, it was white snow in Changzhou. It is as cold as the hearts of Vietnamese fans for their country’s football after the rock bottom period.
And the young men in red shirts fought in the thick white snow to create miracles like a red fire breaking the ice in the hearts of Vietnamese fans.
Not only has emotional significance, Changzhou 2018 is also a turning point that opens a brilliant era for Vietnamese football.
In the past, Vietnamese football had ups and downs (more downs than ups), but the period 2014-2017 was for many people a “special, unforgettable obsession”. The Vietnamese team was eliminated in the semi-finals of two consecutive AFF Cups, culminating in a heavy defeat at the 2017 SEA Games (eliminated from the group stage).
But when confidence in Vietnamese football almost hit rock bottom, the Changzhou miracle appeared. Coach Park Hang Seo’s team with a group of players who just lost at the 2017 SEA Games overcame a series of strong opponents to advance to the final. And from then on, Vietnamese football entered the most successful period in history.
After Coach Park Hang Seo left, Vietnamese football returned to a quiet period. U23 Vietnam cannot defend the gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games and is almost eliminated from the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
That poor performance brought a negative atmosphere to Vietnamese football, the confidence of the fans who had been built from the Changzhou miracle fell to an unprecedented low.
In that context, Vietnamese football desperately needs a “second Changzhou”. And the wait is on the U23 Vietnam team of coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the 2024 U23 Asian Championship.
Compared to 2018, U23 Vietnam currently does not bring a feeling of satisfaction to fans. After three group stage matches, U23 Vietnam revealed many problems in their playing style. They lack cohesion, are not coherent and play football without lines.
This comes from the quality of young players in Vietnamese football not being equal to previous generations. Not to mention coach Hoang Anh Tuan himself took over the U23 Vietnam team too hastily as a stuntman. But luckily they fell into the light group and easily got tickets to the quarterfinals.
However, many fans still hope for the U23 Vietnam team. Having passed the group stage, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team have completed their target. Therefore, U23 Vietnam is no longer under heavy pressure and has complete grounds to surprise.
Of course, it is difficult to ask the current U23 Vietnam to repeat the Changzhou miracle because everything has changed a lot. But what the fans need is a watchable performance from U23 Vietnam to regain confidence in the return of Vietnamese football.
That U23 Vietnam under coach Hoang Anh Tuan can do? The match in Changzhou that year was as beautiful as a dream come true, and now fans dream of having a second Changzhou.
