Vietnamese Football: The V.League Changes Its Money but Not Its Playing Style

On an afternoon in the stands of Hang Day Stadium, amid the drums and the roar of the crowd, I wrote a short line in my notebook: "Both teams attack mainly down the flanks; there is almost no coherent central build-up." It was a small detail the crowd did not notice. But for someone who has followed Vietnamese football for years, it opened a bigger question: after all these years of renewal and investment, does Vietnamese football truly have a tactical identity of its own?

I had written this question in my notebook long ago, long before names like Nguyen Quang Hai or Nguyen Tien Linh became symbols of the national game. And the more I watch, the more I believe that the biggest problem in the V.League is not money, but something far harder to build than money: a clearly defined playing philosophy.

A rising football nation, but not yet a solid one

Over the past decade, Vietnamese football has made undeniable progress. The national team reached the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the first time in its history, and won the AFF Cup in 2026 and 2026. Players such as Nguyen Quang Hai, Doan Van Hau, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Tien Linh have made their mark on the continental stage. In terms of image, this is the golden era of Vietnamese football.

Behind those achievements, however, is a domestic league still wrestling with long-standing problems. The quality between teams is uneven. Many clubs depend too heavily on foreign strikers, while domestic players, especially forwards, are often pushed out wide or played out of position. The league's general style leans on physicality and speed, but lacks organisation and the ability to control the tempo of a match.

I observed this from the time I was a trainee reporter. In 2026, watching a 16-year-old come on in a match at the East Asian Championship, I recorded every touch of his in my notebook, while my colleagues focused only on names already established. That experience taught me that the most important signals often lie in the details the crowd overlooks.

The problem is structural, not financial

Many people believe Vietnamese football needs more money to develop. I do not deny the role of financial resources. But money is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. The way big clubs such as Hanoi FC or Cong An Ha Noi spend reveals this. They can sign quality foreign players and pay high wages to domestic stars. But when they reach the big matches, what they lack is not money, but a tactical system flexible enough to adapt to each opponent.

This is clearest in how teams handle game states. When leading, most teams drop deep and clear long, instead of controlling the ball to slow the tempo. When trailing, they push the ball wide and cross into the box, instead of organising central combinations. This is a reactive style, not yet a proactive one.

Dependence on foreign players is also a structural issue. When clubs place their trust in foreign strikers, domestic forwards lose the chance to develop. This creates a vicious circle: the national team lacks domestic strikers of sufficient calibre and must rely on ageing players or those unproven on the international stage.

This problem has existed for generations. What is worrying is that it has still not been solved systematically, even though Vietnamese football has passed through several coaching regimes, from Park Hang-seo to Philippe Troussier and then Kim Sang-sik. Each brought a philosophy of his own, but none could change the structure of an entire football nation in just a few years.

The contrarian view: what the top clubs are doing wrong

Fans often praise youth academies such as HAGL, which produced Vietnamese football's golden generation. But there is a point rarely mentioned: most of the talents of that generation did not reach their full potential. Nguyen Cong Phuong, Nguyen Tuan Anh and Luong Xuan Truong were all hugely hyped, but their careers were affected by injuries and suboptimal choices.

This reveals a deeper problem: Vietnamese football is good at spotting talent, but not yet good at nurturing and developing it at the highest level. A good academy does not stop at technical training; it is also a place for building tactical thinking, physical foundations and competitive mental toughness. This is where we are still far short.

Another angle worth pondering: the V.League's constant changes to competition format, the number of participating teams and the points system have created instability for clubs. When clubs cannot be sure how many matches they will play in a season, they cannot build a long-term development plan. This instability directly affects the quality of play and the ability to compete on the continental stage.

What needs to change?

The core problem of Vietnamese football is not a lack of money or talent. The problem is a lack of long-term, consistent vision. A football nation can only develop sustainably when it has a playing philosophy clearly defined from youth level and maintained across all national teams.

Japan is a prime example. For decades, Japanese football has built a playing philosophy based on ball control, off-the-ball movement and tactical discipline. That philosophy is passed from youth academies up to the national team, creating a clear identity. When a Japanese player enters the national team, he already knows how he must play.

Vietnamese football can learn from that model, but learning does not mean copying. Vietnam needs to find an identity suited to its physique, culture and resources. It could be a high-pressing style built on the abundant physical energy of young players, or a possession-based style built on technical skill. Whichever direction it chooses, consistency remains the decisive factor.

A question still open

Vietnamese football stands at a crossroads. With increasingly abundant resources, fan interest and recent achievements, this is a favourable moment to create a genuine breakthrough. But to do so, Vietnamese football must overcome an invisible barrier: a habit of short-term thinking and a lack of consistency in development strategy.

When a person is cast into a statue, they begin to lose themselves. The same is true of a football nation. When Vietnamese football is cast into a statue of short-term achievements, it may lose the chance to build a lasting identity. The question is not whether Vietnam has enough money or talent to reach out to the continent, but whether this football nation has enough patience to build a long-term path.