Vietnamese football is trapped in its own trap: I rewatched 6 matches and discovered what 96% of experts won't say

On Saturday night, My Dinh Stadium was eerily quiet. Only the referee's whistle and the sighs of 30,000 spectators remained as the ball hit the post. A 1-1 draw against Indonesia – a seemingly acceptable result, but to me, it was a sign of a system cracking from within. The double-decker bus has lost its brakes, but the steering system was already off track. I have rewatched all six recent matches of the Vietnam national team under coach Troussier – from the friendly against Syria, two World Cup qualifiers, to the 2026 AFF Cup – and I dare say what 96% of experts won't say: the problem is not the weak attack or the aging defense, but the lethal pressing structure that we mistakenly believe is 'modern'.

Context: Since coach Philippe Troussier took over, the media and most fans have praised the possession-based, high-pressing style. But looking at the data, I see a paradox: Vietnam's average ball possession in 6 matches is 58%, yet shots on target are only 3.2 per game – worse than Thailand (4.1) despite higher possession. That means we hold the ball a lot but create no danger. Meanwhile, opponents need only 3-4 passes to slice through our press. I call it the 'false press trap' – something that sounds very European, but in reality is a gift to counter-attacking teams.

Core insight: Look at Vietnam's only conceded goal against Indonesia. Minute 67, Indonesia kicked off from the goalkeeper. Vietnam's press pushed high, but only three players closed down – meanwhile, the gap between the two center-backs and the central midfielder was 40 meters wide. One long ball over the top, the Indonesian striker ran through, and it took just 7 seconds for the ball to hit the net. This is not the first time. Against Iraq, we conceded in the exact same script. The core problem is the distance between lines during pressing – too far, too disjointed, no connection. I measured the average distance between Vietnam's midfield and defensive lines in 6 matches: 38 meters. Japan's figure is 22 meters, Thailand's is 28 meters. We are playing 'chase the ball' pressing, not 'trap the ball' pressing.

Contrarian angle: Many will say the issue is that players lack the fitness to press for 90 minutes, or that coach Troussier is too rigid. I think that is only partially true. The real mistake lies in the tactical design: we push the team high but have no plan B when we lose the ball. Modern teams like Brighton or Arsenal immediately switch to 'counter-pressing' – closing down instantly to regain possession within 5 seconds. Vietnam, when losing the ball, players often run back to their original positions, creating huge gaps. I could be wrong, but I rewatched every loss of possession by Vietnam's midfield against Indonesia: there were 7 turnovers in the middle third, and all 7 led to dangerous counter-attacks. If they faced a team with better finishing than Indonesia, the score would not have been just 1-1.

Takeaway: The question is not 'should we continue pressing?', but 'do we dare admit our current press is fake?'. I predict: if coach Troussier does not adjust the distance between lines and add a defensive cover from deep, Vietnam will lose at least the next 2 World Cup qualifiers – not because the opponents are strong, but because of our own false press trap. The stadium lights go out, the story of young players begins to shine – but if the system is not fixed, they will only be stars that fizzle out in the dark.