Coach Mai Duc Chung: Boldly give opportunities to young players in Vietnam women's team

There are moments that never appear on the scoreboard but stay etched in memory. In the final group-stage match of the 2026 Asian Games, with the result already set, head coach Hoang Van Phuc turned to the bench and called Ngoc Minh Chuyen. The young player came on, took a few steps, touched the ball three times. The match ended. But in those 60 seconds, the whole stadium seemed to hear a question: why had a talent described by experts as capable of breaking through been given so little room? That is the biggest question Vietnamese women's football faces during this generational transition. Vietnam reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Games women's football tournament, but beneath the joy lies an intense debate: are we chasing immediate results or truly building for the future? Former head coach Mai Duc Chung sent a clear message: it is time to give young players real opportunities. Along with expert Pham Hai Anh, he offered a tactical and philosophical perspective, as current head coach Hoang Van Phuc works to modernize the team's playing style. Vietnam's group-stage campaign was not convincing. They drew 0-0 with Thailand in a match where fans expected attacking football, but it never came. Vietnam were cautious, fielding many older players and lacking creativity. They then lost to Chinese Taipei and Japan, yet still advanced thanks to a wildcard spot for the best third-placed teams. The quarter-final target was met. But this achievement looks more like a gift from the tournament format than genuine strength. That is why the youth debate is so urgent. Mai Duc Chung insisted the team needs a personnel revolution, because a new playing style cannot work if the same old players are forced to change their football thinking. Vietnam's tactics under coach Hoang Van Phuc show a clear gap between idea and execution. The 3-4-3 formation is modern, but the players are not suited to their roles. Ngan Thi Van Su and Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy, natural wingers, were pushed into central midfield where they were completely stuck. Meanwhile, natural attacker Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha played at wing-back and could barely push forward all match. The problem is not the formation. The 3-4-3 is a mainstream, modern system. The problem is role assignment. When wide players are moved inside, the team loses width; when an attacker is forced deep, the team loses penetration. The case of Nguyen Thi Hoa shows the confusion. She played three different positions in three group matches, with no settled role. This suggests a coach still searching for his best team rather than executing a clear system. Meanwhile, young bright spots were only seen in tiny fragments. Nguyen Thi Truc Huong showed good ball control and midfield composure, but played limited minutes. Ngoc Minh Chuyen proved her dribbling ability, but was given 30 seconds in one game and about one minute against Thailand. A player believed to be capable of making a difference had no time to show it beyond three touches. I once wrote: The night at Brisbane Road did not teach me to accept defeat; it taught me to look again with different eyes. When I see young players sitting on the bench all match, then entering in stoppage time, I see waste. Not because they will definitely shine, but because we will never know without giving them a real chance. Mai Duc Chung and Pham Hai Anh both believe the young players are ready. Their message is simple: if not now, when? Vietnam women's team faces a forced generational shift. A large part of the core squad has aged. If the team keeps relying on experience, it will lose an entire generation of promising young players. I write about football, but really I write about people running on grass. Watching those young women run on the Asiad turf, I realize this transition is not just tactical. It is about belief, about how a football nation faces its own future. Coach Hoang Van Phuc knows this. He was tasked with changing the playing style, from a compact defensive unit to a modern possession-based model. This is not a small tweak; it is a philosophical break. But changing thinking cannot come from forcing old defensive players to play a different brand of football. It comes from giving opportunities to those trained for that kind of game. Mai Duc Chung's call is not criticism. It is protection. An article standing beside a young player will not save the world, but it can be a shield for talents being forgotten in the pursuit of results. However, there is a blind spot in this debate. Both Mai Duc Chung and Pham Hai Anh focused on the Thailand draw and the China quarter-final, but nobody mentioned the loss to Chinese Taipei. That result is alarming. If Vietnam truly lost to a lower-ranked opponent in the group stage, the issue is not just transition or tactics. It is a sign of regional decline. The wildcard spot helped Vietnam reach the quarter-finals, but it also hid existing cracks. A team can be satisfied with meeting its target, but if it ignores a defeat to a lower-ranked side, every youth plan remains just words on paper. The quarter-final against China will certainly be difficult. Before the tournament, Vietnam lost heavily to China in a training camp. But in a match where the result seems predictable, the value of playing young players becomes even greater. They can learn from facing Asia's elite. They can feel the pressure, speed, and intensity at the highest level. Mai Duc Chung said Hoang Van Phuc has done more than well enough and met the target. But that support does not mean we should stop asking questions. If Vietnam face China with an experienced team and still lose heavily, they lose both the result and the future. That is the worst scenario: no performance, no foundation. Conversely, if Hoang Van Phuc trusts young players like Truc Huong and Minh Chuyen, even with an unfavourable outcome, the team gains the most precious thing in a transition: real competitive experience at continental level. That is more valuable than any safe win in the group stage. I have learned that every game knows how to wait. Vietnamese women's football does not need to rush after a fleeting result. But it must be brave enough to open the door for the talents knocking. The door has been opened, just not wide enough. Ngoc Minh Chuyen may have needed only 30 seconds to touch her first ball at the Asian Games, but she needs more than that to prove she deserves a starting spot. Nguyen Thi Truc Huong may hold the ball well in limited minutes, but she needs trust to do it against the strongest opponents. The story of Vietnam women's team at Asiad 2026 is not just about a quarter-final ticket. It is a story of choice. And all eyes will be on the lineup Hoang Van Phuc picks against China. Does he dare? The answer will say everything. I listen to Mai Duc Chung and Pham Hai Anh, and I believe Vietnamese women's football is at its most important crossroads in a decade. Let the young girls run on the grass. Let them play with their hearts. Because a football nation truly matures when it gives the next generation its chance. As I left Brisbane Road that night, I did not remember the score. I remembered the singing, the eyes, and the way people hugged each other in defeat. Football is not numbers on a table. Football is people, moments, and the way we face the future. Vietnam women's team holds a future in its hands. The only question is whether we are brave enough to open those hands. The match against China will not decide the fate of Vietnamese women's football, but it will show us where this team is going. The empty stadium in summer is when I hear the heart of this game most clearly. And amid a turbulent Asian Games, the heart of Vietnamese women's football is beating for something simple: young players who want to step onto the pitch. They are not asking for starting places. They are asking for a chance. All we have to do is open the door. It is time to boldly give opportunities. Not just for today, but for tomorrow, and for every day after.