Vietnam team must stop the decline
The 0-4 defeat to Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (taking place on June 10) ended the 11-match unbeaten streak of the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang-sik.
Since September, Mr. Kim's students have only tasted defeat, but let's look at the reality: the wins and draws of the Vietnamese team mainly come from friendly matches and the 2024 AFF Cup, where FIFA has a low coefficient (meaning each win is awarded very few points). However, the loss to Malaysia is different. This was a match within the framework of FIFA Days, in the qualifying round of the official tournament, where the Vietnamese team lost 4 goals to an opponent 22 places below them in the rankings.
As a result, the Vietnamese team was deducted 13.91 points, falling 4 places to 113th. Coach Kim and his team are only 5 places above Indonesia (12 points) and 12 places above Malaysia (31 points). This is a gap that can be closed after just 2 or 3 matches.
Vietnam team under pressure after heavy loss to Malaysia
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
After a successful period under coach Park Hang-seo, when he regularly ranked from 92 to 95 in the 2018-2022 period, the Vietnamese team fell out of the FIFA top 100 in February 2024. A series of 6 consecutive losses in official tournaments under coach Philippe Troussier caused the Vietnamese team to drop 11 places, from 94 to 105. That was the period when the Vietnamese team became the team with the deepest drop in the FIFA rankings.
The ranking then improved thanks to an 8-match unbeaten streak (7 wins, 1 draw) at the AFF Cup 2024, but just 1 defeat to Malaysia was enough to push coach Kim Sang-sik's team further away from the top 100. The gap between the Vietnamese team and Guatemala (ranked 100) is 66 points. Although this is still a feasible number to fill, it requires Quang Hai and his teammates to make a great effort.
If they do not improve their performance, the Vietnamese team could be caught up in the rankings by Indonesia and Malaysia, something that has not happened in more than a decade.
Save points
The 0-4 loss to Malaysia has gradually extinguished the Vietnamese team's hopes of participating in the 2027 Asian Cup. To turn the tables, coach Kim's students must win all 4 remaining matches, while hoping that Malaysia stumbles (draws or loses) at least 1 match.
If Malaysia wins the next 3 matches, the Vietnamese team must win by 5 goals in the rematch in March 2026 to hope to get a ticket.
The Vietnamese team (in red) needs to play with more focus and determination.
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
As the chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup has narrowed, the Vietnamese team needs to move towards a more feasible goal: accumulating points to achieve the best possible ranking. That will help coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have a chance to enter the top seed group in the 2030 World Cup qualifiers, which will begin soon after the 2026 World Cup ends.
FIFA rankings are very important, as they are the basis for seeding tournaments organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). If they are placed in the first or second seed group, the Vietnamese team will avoid many strong opponents. To achieve the goal of reaching the third qualifying round of the 2030 World Cup set by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnamese team must have the highest FIFA ranking possible in order to find a suitable group.
Besides the friendly matches (currently, the Vietnam Football Federation has not yet finalized the friendly match schedule for the October and November training sessions), the Vietnamese team must win two matches against Nepal in October and the match against Laos in November, before defeating Malaysia in the rematch in March next year to increase points again.
Accumulating each match is the only way for the Vietnamese team to achieve its goals. Any target will be out of reach if Mr. Kim and his team do not know how to seize the opportunity.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-can-som-tro-lai-top-100-fifa-neu-khong-185250712142720962.htm
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