Unequivocally the biggest underdogs of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Vietnam will have a mountain to climb this summer. Coming into the tournament as the newcomers in their first-ever voyage on the greatest stage in the football sphere in the history of the country, it is easy to see why the odds are against them. Vietnam are not a team whose style of play or tactics are on the level of the likes of the USA, England or Spain, that is quite clear.
But with unity and undeniable excitement and adrenaline on their side, they could still make a mark on the tournament, however small it may be. After all, the World Cup is as unpredictable as they come.
So in this tactical analysis, we will give you a full scout report on Vietnam: their tactics, strengths, weaknesses and potential setups. At the end of the analysis, we will also attempt to predict how they fare at the World Cup, whether that’s going out in the blaze of glory or being overwhelmed and ultimately overrun by their, on paper, clearly superior rivals.
Predicted Starting XI
Considering Vietnam are newbies when it comes to the grandest stage of them all, it’s quite safe to assume their coach Mai Đức Chung will want to put the team’s best foot forward — at all times. Generally, however, they are a team that lacks individual brilliance apart from a couple of distinguished players. In fact, the team’s star striker Như Huỳnh is the only player currently contracted to a European team. Her consistent appearance is a guarantee and the only real ace up the sleeve Chung’s squad may have, as cruel as it may be to word the analysis in such fashion.
The rest of the squad largely plays for domestic teams, big or small, and can only boast a couple of difference-makers as such. When it comes to starting lineups and their corresponding structures, it seems that Chung is quite fond of the security and vertical power of the 5-4-1, which we predict to be the bread and butter of Vietnam going into the 2023 Women’s World Cup. They have also used the 4-4-2 fairly often, which, considering the system’s balance, is not that big of a surprise and would, at least in theory, be the safe option.
However, their latest (successful) clashes were all borne out of the aforementioned 5-4-1 so we’re going out on a limb and saying Chung will try and surprise the opposition with this (slight) change in approach.
In any case, we predict the 29-year-old Thi Kim Thanh Tran to be placed between the sticks and covered with a centre-back trident of Thu Trần Thị, Thị Diễm My Lê and Thi Thuy Nga Tran, from left to right respectively. There is scope for an alternative approach here too but it largely depends on the structure employed. In this scenario, however, where the team has wing-backs, this trio seems to be in contention to play and start the games. When it comes to the wide players, we expect to see Loan Hoàng Thị on the left and Thu Thảo Trần Thị on the right.
Granted, there have been rotations in the squad as a whole but in this position especially as Vietnam have swapped between a system that utilises wing-backs and ones that don’t. In midfield, Thị Vân Dương is set to play alongside Thi Thảo Thái in a double-pivot. The system with two defensive midfielders aims to give Vietnam more security and flexibility in the middle of the pitch, allowing for at least one of the two to be more aggressive and vertical at times, especially in transition moments. More on that later on in the tactical analysis.
Out wide on the left we come across the first other star of the team, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung, the 29-year-old winger/wide midfielder can be a difference-maker when isolated in the final third. On the other side, Vietnam are likely to deploy Bích Thùy Nguyễn Thị.
Finally, Huỳnh will play the centre-forward role as the only 100% pick in this team that we’re likely to see game-in, game-out in this tournament, as much as fitness and availability permit. It’s worth mentioning that Huỳnh’s successor, the 21-year-old Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã, is very likely to travel with the team but could be used as a substitute at least at first. Maybe this tournament can be her chance to shine and prove herself worthy of the high praise she’s been getting of late.
One thing this Vietnam squad has going for it is definitely their experience. The stars of the team are mostly in their late prime or even experienced years but interestingly, there are also a lot of up-and-coming players ready to stake their claim at the World Cup. But even when we look at the 30+ personnel in the team, we can see there aren’t that many ‘old’ players in the first place but also, more importantly, only three of them out of the whole squad are in our predicted starting XI.
Speaking of the gala lineup, we have to note that it does largely consist of players in their late prime years but that is to be expected as Chung no doubt wants experience at such a historic event for the World Cup newcomers.
Attacking phase
The data analysis gives us a much clearer and unfortunately for Vietnam, a much more grim picture of the reality they find themselves in. We have to mention, however, that we’ve had to take data from the Asia AFF Women`s Championship because the 2023 sample simply wasn’t enough. There, Vietnam are battling against the likes of the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Timor-Leste. Obviously, these sides are leagues below some of the ones they’ll face at the World Cup but at the very least, this data can tell us some of Vietnam’s tendencies in possession.
For all intents and purposes, Chung’s team are outclassed in the majority of the attacking facets of the game. Unfortunately, they don’t score as many goals, they don’t shoot as often or as accurately, and they don’t create as many chances. One thing that does seem to be decent, however, is the build-up phase. But even with that said, Vietnam will be the very definition of an underdog this summer when the tournament kicks off.
But they do have a style of play, even if that style is obviously marred with some techno-tactical flaws. Their 5-4-1 often transforms into a 3-4-3 in possession as the wing-backs push up to settle either side of the double-pivot, creating a line of four players in the middle of the pitch. There are some variations of this, though.
In games where Vietnam have the upper hand and can actually dictate the games, the three centre-backs will get ample time and space on the ball to distribute it further up the pitch. But even in such cases, which we predict won’t be often at the World Cup, they seem to play it rather safe.
When it comes to the defenders’ on-the-ball ability, it is fair to say it’s not the greatest. Their backline can be shaky when pressed and quite panicky in their distribution, especially if their options are not clear or easily accessible. That’s also the reason why the double-pivot is often very closely positioned to them and will have a deeper starting position even if the opposition are settled in a low(er) block.
In that sense, Vietnam’s build-up phase is geared towards simplicity and pragmatism and their wide centre-backs will look to invert into midfield once the ball is recycled towards the far side of the pitch to maintain compactness and prevent overloads.
In case the ball is lost in the attempt to systematically progress it up the pitch, that setup allows for better counter-pressing and a tighter rest defence. Similarly, the ball-side midfielders will also drop, as seen in the image, to aid the first phase. On paper, it’s a solid approach. It remains to be seen, however, whether it will work against the world’s best.
The far-side wing-back and the wide midfielder will then push forward as Vietnam aim to create isolations and exploit runners attacking the channels. This is a core part of their tactics; Vietnam will do their best to congest their lines in the first two phases of attack but will then also look to create a gap between the opposition’s midfield and defensive line to isolate their forwards.
Note how in this example, the first two lines of Vietnam’s squad are dropping deeper to drag the opposition with them. At the same time, the forward will push into the final third to increase the distance between the other team’s own lines. This creates space between the lines but also enables their star striker to enjoy less marking when crashing the box. And then, if this is successful — and often also even if it isn’t — Vietnam will go long from the middle third of the pitch.
For better or worse, Chung’s team is very vertical and quick to pull the trigger in possession; regardless of whether they face a deep block or a high press, they will attempt to find their wide runners and quickly gain access to the final third. With that in mind, their #9 will often float to be the beneficiary of such actions and their wide players will have a very attacking, forward-first, mindset. It doesn’t come as a surprise then that trying to take advantage of isolations and space in behind makes a big part of their attacking tactics.
Once that has hopefully been achieved, they will use the quick and tricky feet of Dung on the left to find the clinical feet of Huỳnh attacking the box down the middle. And then, if the stars align, Vietnam can aim for the back of the net.
Defensive phase
Fortunately for Vietnam, looking at the data, their defensive tactics seem to be yielding at least some results. They can be quite aggressive in their high press and this does occasionally result in interceptions, albeit not always in the opposition’s final third. Vietnam will generally engage in a lot of duels across the pitch, both aerial and on the ground, and it helps them at least to limit the opposition’s expected goals per shot value, albeit not significantly so. All that being said, however, while this is an improvement on the quite poor attacking graph, it’s still sour reading for Vietnam supporters.
They are still underwhelming at winning duels, slightly above average at successful pressing and very poor at minimising the opposition’s chance of scoring. The upside does seem to be their high press, which manages to yield turnovers and shooting chances at times. In short, though, Vietnam are a leaky side that might get easily overwhelmed by the clearly superior individual and collective quality of their rivals. But what do we know about their defensive tactics?
Chung generally has two approaches he instructs his team with: low-to-middle 5-4-1 block or a high-pressing man-mark heavy scheme that mimics the opposition’s structure.
The latest example shows us what that usually looks like in a mid-block as Vietnam assume their 5-4-1. Again, similarly to what we’ll see in the high press, they will be fairly man-oriented in their approach, sticking closely to the opposition midfielders and protecting the middle of the pitch. We can see the wide midfielders also tucking inside to stop progress via the half-spaces and the double-pivot steps up to mark their counterparts.
In this setup, the wing-backs drop to form a five-player backline but with some dose of freedom to push up if the rest of the team is actively advancing forward without the ball. This, however, brings us to the main flaw of this setup: compactness. Whether it’s the middle block or a high-pressing structure, Vietnam seem to be very prone to manipulation and thus also susceptible to losing compactness as they’re dragged across the pitch. In the example with a deep block, we see their striker venture forward on her own because she’s tasked with tracking the ball while the rest of the squad simply doesn’t react in time or at all.
Chung will have to tackle this issue once Vietnam start facing much stronger competition come the summer.
The same is true for their high press, which seems to be a somewhat regular weapon in their arsenal but according to data, one that’s similarly faulty in certain aspects of its execution. Vietnam often preach aggressive and brave tactics out of possession and while this can work when the structure is sound, it can also backfire tremendously if it isn’t. The example here demonstrates how they rely on heavy man-marking when pushing up and to be fair to them, this has yielded goalscoring opportunities.
Upon ball recovery, especially this high up, Vietnam will be extremely vertical and will aim to progress through one-touch football to set up their attack. Again, there’s nothing wrong with this when their network is solid and when the execution doesn’t falter. But their decision-making in the final third as well as shot locations leave a lot to be desired. In such situations, Vietnam tend to rely on attempts from distance, which have resulted in some impressive goals in the past, but give the team a very low chance of consistent threat.
This verticality and perhaps even impatience are sometimes reflected in the way they handle transitions too.
Transitions
When it comes to attacking transitions, it is safe to assume they will play a big part in Vietnam’s hopes of a good result at the 2023 World Cup. They are generally a very vertical team, even when facing deep and passive blocks, but this verticality is most evident in the moments immediately following a successful counter-press. Vietnam lack compactness, as we’ve established earlier in this scout report, but still go into their challenges bravely and aggressively. When it works, it works. But when it doesn’t, it can spell trouble.
Still, it’s the wide areas where we must turn our focus of analysis. As a general rule of thumb, that’s where Vietnam’s runners are usually located and the outlets stem from the wing-back, wide midfielder and striker positions. Even though their number 9 is a largely central figure, she will drift wide and even drop deep to ensure runners can be ejected successfully.
This is also where the flexibility of the double-pivot comes into play. Having two central defensive midfielders allows one of them to be more aggressive than the other and Vietnam tend to use this in their attacking transition tactics. Then, once possession has been regained, they will shift a gear up and employ high verticality to gain access to the space behind the opposition’s lines.
But that said, the aggressive approach, especially in the wide areas, comes with a cost. When it comes to defensive transitions, Vietnam have a set rest defence of four or five players: three centre-backs and either one or two pivots, depending on how aggressively the other pivot is positioned. Their wing-backs being very attacking-minded by nature means they will often have to work hard and track back relentlessly if they are to re-establish Vietnam’s defensive five-player backline.
You can see that in the following example.
Here, you see the five-player rest defence and the two wide players trying to race back to cover their rivals. It’s commendable but not always sustainable.
Attackers
As mentioned at the very beginning of our scout report, Vietnam are not a team of superstars. Far from it. But if we were to mention some players who are individually above the rest, they would find themselves in the forward line. Apart from Huỳnh, the clear gem of the squad, there’s also the young diamond in the rough, Nhã, who will no doubt be looking for her time in the spotlight this summer.
The 5’4″ explosive forward is someone the Vietnamese should be looking out for in the near future. And if everything works out, we’ll also see her talent first-hand at the World Cup. Her pacey feet, quick thinking and explosive nature can be an incredible asset for a team that banks on verticality and it will be interesting to track her effect on the squad’s fortunes.
Midfielders
When it comes to midfielders, the 29-year-old Dung takes the cake as the most renowned and probably the most influential name on the list. Of course, since she essentially acts as the team’s left-winger, one could make an argument that she’s not exactly a midfielder at all. However, given Vietnam’s 5-4-1 structure we’ve predicted they’ll employ, she will often be tasked to support the first and second phases before exploding into space behind the opposition’s defensive line.
Apart from her, the double-pivot also needs a mention as this will represent the hub of their build-up play. Vietnam’s backline is not especially strong on the ball and their task in possession will be to distribute it to the pivots. In that sense, Thái and Dương will likely have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders against very tough opposition. Finally, on the right, Nguyễn Thị will act as an outlet and the asymmetrical counterpart to the more involved Dung on the left.
Defenders
Last but not least, we have the defenders. Here, there are no clear difference-makers and even though they have been known to play possession-style football, it’s unlikely we see them as the clear protagonists at the World Cup. It will be interesting to see, however, whether they stick with the wing-back system as it does allow for a clear line of five players in the back and the extra security could come a long way for Chung’s troops.
Given we predict a very experienced backline to start, consisting of players in their late prime years, their unity and familiarity with both each other and the system could play a big part in Vietnam’s potential success in the biggest campaign of their lives.
Key player
Unsurprisingly, we’ve selected Huỳnh as Vietnam’s key player in the tournament. The 31-year-old forward is set to lead her country on this historic quest. Huỳnh is excellent in and around the box and also quite comfortable affecting other phases of play through her roaming tendencies. She is often found out wide on the right side and even deeper in midfield, combining, winning the ball, helping eject runners and then advancing back up the field herself.
But Vietnam will be looking to her for goals as she is the only real difference-maker on the squad and the only player actually playing in Europe. The experienced striker has already clinched five Vietnamese Golden Balls and will undoubtedly continue playing a key role in any kind of success of her country in the near future.
Tournament prediction
Going into the World Cup, everything stands against Vietnam: this is their first appearance on the grandest stage of them all, they have never faced teams of such quality and they themselves don’t have much (or any) star power on their side. What they do have, however, is unity and self-belief.
After all, they are currently in red-hot form in 2023 and have even managed to clinch the gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, their fourth consecutive one. Another thing they have going for themselves is the fact that by the time the World Cup kicks off, they will have played a total of nine pre-tournament games, which is more than most other participants can hope for. While definitely not a crucial detail, it’s still something that may help Vietnam see the light at the end of a very long and very dark tunnel.
Their group is challenging and the tournament as a whole probably seems daunting but if they perform to the absolute best of their abilities, Vietnam may yet leave a mark on this historic event for their country.
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