Vietnamese Football: Playing 120 Minutes vs. West Asian Teams

Football is a complex game with many unpredictable factors such as tactics, technique, psychology and moments of brilliance… But all these factors must be based on one foundation: the physical condition of the players.

Even during the legendary journey of coach Park Hang Seo and his team in 2018, fans have yet to see the Vietnam U-23 team play on equal terms in matches against West Asian representatives, who are considered the benchmark for physical strength and stature in high-level sports.

But in the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship, the generation of players led by Kim Sang Sik managed to do just that.

The Vietnam U-23 team faced three West Asian representatives in the tournament: Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In all three matches, Kim Sang Sik’s players showed balanced play from start to finish. In particular, in the grueling 120-minute match against the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam’s U-23 players showed remarkable resilience.

The Vietnam U-23 team’s trip to Saudi Arabia is not just a football fairy tale; It is also a journey that shows the improvement of the height and health of the Vietnamese people, through their football players.

Sharing his perspective on this matter, Vietnamese national team and under-23 team doctor, Mr. Tran Huy Tho, said:

“This reflects the excellent stamina base and ability to withstand strenuous exercise – the ability to recover between matches – that today’s Vietnamese players have.”

Despite a packed schedule, many intense matches and overtime, the players have maintained a relatively stable physical condition. This is critical as it demonstrates that recovery, nutrition and exercise load management have been improved, resulting in improvements in strength and impact resistance.

Compared with previous generations, the Vietnam U-23 team is no longer at a clear disadvantage when competing with West Asian teams that have a better physical foundation.

The players showed solidity in one-on-one situations, agility, etc.

Another important point, according to Dr. Tran Huy Tho, is that the adaptability of current Vietnamese players has improved significantly.

In particular, Vietnamese players have often had difficulties when faced with playing conditions different from those in Vietnam, including the weather, playing fields or the intensity of the tournament.

But now, from the Vietnamese U-23 team in the recent Asian Championship to other generations of Vietnamese footballers today, their adaptability has improved significantly.

“The ability to adjust the pace of movement during a match (when to accelerate, when to maintain a constant pace) is a positive sign in terms of physical fitness and energy management.”

The team has a balanced physical base, which does not depend on a few individuals. It should be noted that good physical condition is demonstrated throughout the team, not just in some positions.

“This helped the Vietnam U23 team maintain their organization and tactical discipline throughout the tournament,” said Dr Tran Huy Tho.

According to a doctor with many years of experience in monitoring Vietnamese football, the improvement in fitness, physique and height of current Vietnamese players is the result of deep investment in the field of sports science.

The perception of Vietnamese football has changed significantly. For example, the work of doctors like us in the team. Before, our job was simply to treat player injuries.

Nowadays, we all have a comprehensive knowledge of sports medicine. This includes risk prevention, exercise management, recovery, nutrition and performance optimization, as well as fitness monitoring, training intensity control, application of modern recovery methods, sports nutrition and early intervention after injury.

“All aspects of sports medicine are now implemented more systematically in national teams. That is a key reason why Vietnamese players no longer have physical disadvantages when competing at the continental level,” said Dr Tran Huy Tho.