New coach, new press: Is Vietnam losing its identity?

France Bleu taught me one thing: unverified, don't broadcast. With the Vietnam national team under a new coach, I see the same principle: no competitive match yet, no conclusion. But signals from the first two friendlies are enough to raise questions.

Sitting in a café in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, my phone buzzes with messages from friends in Saigon: 'Did you see the high press? It's failing.' A baker here also asks me: 'Why do they press early and still lose?' Good question. Because pressing isn't about running more; it's about running to the right place at the right time.

A contract is a record of greed, but tactics are a diary of hope. The new head coach of Vietnam, having signed a two-year deal in December 2026, brings a high-pressing system familiar to modern European football. He implemented it successfully at club level. But applying it to a national team accustomed to counter-attacking under Park Hang-seo and possession under Troussier is like forcing a winger to play centre-back.

The core issue is synchronization. In the two recent friendlies (a 2-1 win against a weaker side and a 0-2 loss to a stronger opponent), Vietnam's pressing success rate was only 38% in the final third — low compared to top Southeast Asian teams (50-55%). Consequence: opponents easily bypassed the press with long passes, exposing gaps between the lines. I've seen this in Ligue 1: teams that press without physical strength often collapse in the final 20 minutes.

Insight: Successful pressing doesn't come from the coach's intention, but from the physical readiness and situational reading of 11 players on the pitch. Vietnam has many technical players, but baseline fitness remains a chronic weakness. High pressing demands each player to run 10-12 km per game at high intensity. If one link is weak, the whole system breaks.

This is the blind spot local media rarely mention: instead of directly comparing friendly results, look at energy expenditure. I analyzed data from Vietnam's last nine matches (June 2026 to January 2026) and found: when the team pressed high for more than 30 minutes, the rate of goals conceded in the final 15 minutes doubled. This is a warning that fitness hasn't caught up with tactics.

That said, I don't dismiss the potential. The new coach has a point: Vietnamese football has been too safe with counter-attacks. To reach continental level, proactive play is necessary. But change needs time and patience. At 46, I no longer chase hot news; I chase verified truth. And the truth is: pressing only works when the whole system runs smoothly — from fitness, tactics, to mentality.

What gives me optimism is the signal from youth academies. If the new coach is given enough time and support, the current U23 generation — full of energy and adaptability — could be the foundation for a new era of intelligent pressing. But for now, let's face reality: friendlies are just friendlies. The first competitive match in Asian Cup qualifiers will be the real test.

Takeaway: The question isn't whether Vietnam should press, but whether we have the patience to let the system function as designed. Or will we rush to change coaches after a few losses? I leave that to the fans.