Expert Doan Minh Xuong: Without Xuan Son, Vietnam's attack is clearly much weaker

The Bandung stadium corridor was dark, only the sound of studs echoing on the concrete floor. I stood there watching the Vietnam national team walk past with bowed heads. The 0-2 loss to Thailand was not just a result; it exposed a truth: our attacking football collapsed the moment Xuan Son was not on the pitch.

The match context was already foreseen. Vietnam entered the ASEAN Cup 2026 having lost their leading striker in the opening match. Coach Kim Sang Sik chose a 3-4-3 formation, expecting to control the game, but Thailand, pragmatic and efficient, scored early through a long-range strike from Sarach Yooyen. From then on, they dropped deep, inviting Vietnam forward while ready to counter. Vietnam dominated possession, but their harmlessness in the final third rendered all efforts meaningless.

The core issue lies in the attacking structure, not merely the absence of a striker. Xuan Son was not just a scorer; he was the tactical anchor. His ability to shield the ball, hold off defenders, occupy space, and create room for teammates all disappeared. Dinh Bac, a young forward with a completely different profile, was placed in an unsuitable role and could do nothing. The midfield was also stretched, forcing the coach to pull Cao Quang Vinh from left-back into central midfield—a reshuffle that revealed a severe lack of squad depth.

The irony is that Vietnam is strongest in defensive counter-attacks, yet the game state against Thailand forced them to push forward chasing an equalizer. That was the inverted game, not their strength. A goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, and the remaining efforts were only harmless long-range shots. Thailand, with a clear plan, won both halves tactically.

From the outside, it looks like losing one player; from the inside, it is losing an entire system. Blaming Xuan Son's absence is a too-simplistic explanation. The truth lies deeper: the fitness of most players was poor, the squad was not full, and midfield depth was critically thin. These are preparation and management issues, not misfortune. Expert Doan Minh Xuong pointed out that without Xuan Son, the attack is clearly weaker, but this also reveals a failure to build a viable Plan B.

The lesson from this match is clear. A team built around one player, however talented, becomes fragile. Thailand does not have a single star; they have depth and flexibility. Chanathip played as a false nine, pulling defenders out of position, creating unpredictability we could not control. This is a tactical template Vietnam needs to study.

No one denies the players' desire; they gave their all. But in elite football, effort alone is not enough without a solid plan. This match showed a hard-to-swallow reality: Vietnam may win on spirit, but is losing in the race for depth and preparation. The question is not when Xuan Son returns, but how we build a squad no longer dependent on one individual.