The passion in a wrong note: the wish of a dreamer for attentions and a painful feeling of clashes

This is the year 2021.

When a Spanish daily, OK Diario, wrote about the strange existence of a lot of Vietnamese flags during the match in Saint Petersburg between Switzerland and Spain in the UEFA Euro 2020, this has created a significant debate on the internet about the weird appearances of Vietnamese flags. As usual, I can easily realize two forms of arguments showing up themselves.

The first belongs to the typical Vietnamese from Vietnam, usually from the north, as well as in the former Iron Curtain, to demonstrate great pride in being Vietnamese. It is possible considering these people living here originated from the north, where it had extensive trades and ties with the Soviet Union during its height. Millions of Vietnamese were sent there, but once the Soviet Union collapsed, most of them chose to stay there. Its connection with Vietnam is deep to depth, with political affiliation being mostly neutral, if not to say sympathy to the communist regime. The Vietnamese flags also appeared even before the thriller between Spain and Switzerland; it debuted in the match between Sweden and Poland, with some random Vietnamese fans on the Polish side celebrating together as Robert Lewandowski struck twice to give Poland a 2-2 draw, though Poland could not survive in the end. A number of Vietnamese supporters also carried the flags to cheer the Czechs in Budapest, as the Czech Republic resoundingly beat the Netherlands 2-0.

There are four cities from the former Iron Curtain hosting the European Championship: Saint Petersburg, Bucharest, Baku, and Budapest. Definitely, these people are affectionate to their adoptive nations, hence its love for Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic. Baku doesn't have any existing Vietnamese diaspora, hence no affiliation.

The second belongs to the Vietnamese whose ancestors were boat refugees fleeing the Vietnam War, especially following the fall of Saigon in 1975. These people are highly negative about the flag, considering it associated with communist terrorism and the occupation of free Vietnam. Anti-communism is a major component, still now, among these guys. The appearance of many Vietnamese in the Capitol riots back on 6 January (amidst Trump's framing game about the Democrats being communists in disguise) was a clear answer - they don't wave the communist flags, but rather the yellow flags of the fallen Republic of Vietnam.

Outside the four cities that belong to the former communist world, the remaining seven cities are London, Munich, Rome, Seville, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Glasgow. These countries mostly host the descendants of Vietnamese refugees, their objections are high if a communist Vietnamese flag stands among them. Tourists from Vietnam often avoid carrying the red flags due to potential backlash.

Still, this has an amplification. This news came after the draw of the AFC Final Round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. This qualification is significant because it'll mark Vietnam's debut in this final phase. Ultimately, the draw has drafted Vietnam into facing a lot of giants, making it difficult to overcome. But it is surely a nightmarish moment rather than something to be happy about, in which Vietnamese fans have to sit down to face the harsh reality.

Vietnam is drawn into group B, where they have to face Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China and Oman. In the aftermath of the draw, some Vietnamese fans and even celebrities celebrated the outcome. Not for me and for those who maintain their consciousness.

What makes it so difficult for me to feel joyous is because of the draw has ultimately brought three big giants into the fight for a World Cup spot: Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. These countries have qualified for more than one World Cup. While China may have declined, it has also brought into the team various naturalised players to achieve what they have failed since 2002 (the only time China debuted in the World Cup). And there goes Oman, a very difficult opponent from the Middle East that shares a cultural affinity with Saudi Arabia.

Counting all these games since Vietnam rejoined FIFA in 1991, Vietnam has lost all to these opponents, save for Australia, which this qualification will mark their first-ever encounters. But that's not the only thing to feel concerns about: it is a great doubt if some of these believers want to think about Vietnam appearing in a World Cup. It is real.

The biggest challenge for Vietnam is no other than Japan. While many Vietnamese people would say "facing Japan is better than facing Iran", they need to remember that Japan had trounced Iran 3-0 back in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Yes, Iranian players are really tall, Iran is a difficult opponent with a different, modern style of football comparing to the other Middle Eastern sides, but they are still vulnerable, more so than Japan. This is due to Iranian footballers' natural individualism being too high, thus disabling them from becoming competitive, given football's nature as a collective sport. Think about how Iran got shock defeats to Iraq and South Korea back in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification, or the shock loss away to Bahrain in 2002 qualification, as well as its failure to gain victories at home to Saudi Arabia and South Korea in 2010 qualification - both contributed to Iran's failures to enter these stages. Even back in the 2014 qualification, where Iran took first place in their group at the final phase, Iran also suffered two stunning defeats: one away to a weak Lebanon, and at home to Uzbekistan, both 0-1. Even the recent second round of the 2022 qualifiers saw Iran struggling to take first place, only achieved this after coaching changes following two shock losses to Bahrain and Iraq. The only time Iran truly demonstrates something worthy in an Asian qualification was the recent 2018 one, where Iran for the first time, got no defeat in their route to Russia.

Unlike Iran, Japan is far more stable and Japanese players don't possess the individualism of Iranian players - a strong teamwork ethic instilled by every manager regardless of nationalities. Moreover, Japan has a football system deep to depth, thanked for emulating Germany's Bundesliga but mixed some Brazilian fervours. Japanese players in the international market are more valuable than Iran's - think about Sardar Azmoun, the most decorated player of Iran playing for Russia's Zenit, but he is nothing for Takumi Minamino, who is now on Liverpool's squad. Minamino's value is twice that of Azmoun. Japan has also qualified for every World Cup since its debut in 1998 - a contrast to Iran's inconsistent forms in the same qualification.

And then, Australia. Maybe it is a bit correct since Australia no longer has the golden generation they enjoyed back in the mid-2000s, in fact, Australia has no longer become so fearful like the past. But while Australia looks easier than South Korea, it is still not a team to feel happy though. Vietnam has never faced Australia, but its European heritage means it possesses a large number of tall and physically aggressive players, something Vietnam can't handle. Vietnam has played Iran, a team that has identical features of Australia, and lost. While Australia may not deliver the same pains like how South Korea does, defeats are absolutely certain. Not to say, travelling away to Australia is hellish, due to its Middle East-like climate and rising grassroots-based football nurtures following the introduction of professional football in the country nearly two decades ago. An absolute reason why since joining the AFC, Australia has appeared in three consecutive World Cups, outside its two first appearances as a member of the OFC (Oceania Football Confederation). To add, a potential Australia-Vietnam encounter may attract a lot of Vietnamese diasporas there, but it is a very hostile nuance against the Vietnamese team instead, as Australia is the home to the majority of its population being refugees from the Vietnam War.

Then we go to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is something many Vietnamese don't wish for, but it is an updated version of the United Arab Emirates, the team that shares the same Pot 3 with the Kingdom. More powerful, more technically sound, and more aggressive. Saudi Arabia will be Vietnam's first opponent in the third round, and while Saudi Arabian media pays respects for Vietnamese achievements, they don't forget to remind that Vietnam is weak when playing in West Asia, noting how the United Arab Emirates defeated Vietnam 3-2 to take the leading position in group G of the second round. They even mention the happy memories about Saudi Arabia beating Vietnam twice in the 2002 qualification, 5-0 and 4-0. Saudi Arabia, like Australia, has qualified for five World Cups and is looking to add a six. The Saudis were pleased that Vietnam will be the country's first opponent, and will be played in Saudi Arabia. The weakness of Saudi Arabia, however, is similar to many teams from West Asia that, they're mentally unstable. This is more interesting because the match between Saudi Arabia and Vietnam will be held on 2 September - the day where Ho Chi Minh, the communist leader of then-Viet Minh, issuing its declaration of independence from France and Japan, witnessed by American spies working for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the predecessor of CIA, in the Ba Đình Square - now designed as National Independence Day of Vietnam.

The fourth opponent, China, seems to be a bit something Vietnamese people can feel pleased about. If Iraq had been Vietnam's opponent, surely it would recall only unhappy pasts. Yes, China has never lost to Vietnam, winning all six games since Vietnam's readmission to FIFA in 1991. But Chinese football has been losing its way since, after investing billions to buy superstars yet ignore the developments of its home-based players - thus the decline of Team Dragon. China, yet, will provide a significant challenge when the team incorporates a portion of naturalised players, balancing between Chinese-born overseas and Brazilians, increasing the strength of the Chinese team. While these naturalised players won't scare Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia, it is definitely worrying for Vietnam and Oman.

There are other reasons while Vietnamese are deeply expecting these matches against China. It's stemmed from historical tensions. In the past, China had controlled the northern part of Vietnam for a thousand years, before the Vietnamese expelled China in 938. China and Vietnam went into conflicts for centuries after 938, the last being the 1979 war and subsequent border conflict lasted to 1990. Currently, territorial disputes over Paracel and Spratly Islands have stemmed the nationalist feelings among the Vietnamese populace, a notable factor being the 2014 unrest. Anti-Chinese sentiment has been a strong and significant component of Vietnamese people.

Notably, though, China will host Vietnam on 7 October, the final day of China's Independence Day's holiday that started on 1 October (the PRC was proclaimed the same day back in 1949, eventually issuing a week-long holiday to celebrate the event); while Vietnam will host China on 1 February 2022, and with Vietnamese people, like Chinese, using the lunisolar calendar, it falls directly on 1 January of the new Lunar year, a real football battle on Lunar New Year. Bad blood and surprising fixture distributions promise to give Sino-Vietnamese rivalry to a new height.

The last opponent for Vietnam is Oman, a team that has a coincidental football style like Saudi Arabia, albeit they have never qualified for a World Cup. But Oman's experience in this phase is better - this is the third time they appear. Oman also possesses similar climates to Saudi Arabia, and this is very difficult for Vietnam. In fact, no team from Southeast Asia has ever beaten Oman on Omani soil, save for Australia, the abnormal member of AFF. Also, unlike the youth teams of Oman, which doesn't achieve so many major successes, the senior team of Oman is very formidable, though not yet to be seen as strong, but a serious pushover opponent. Don't forget how Saudi Arabia and Australia struggled with Oman back in the 2014 qualifiers. Perhaps, Vietnamese fans should have wished that their Pot 5 opponent being Syria instead of Oman - Syria is also a strong team, but Syria is mentally unstable in crucial games, as well as its over-hyped players - which was/is a reason for the country's early elimination in six AFC Asian Cup. Omanis are far more resilient.

To be frank, I thought an ideal group stage for Vietnam was with Iran, Australia, the UAE, China and Syria (Lebanon and Vietnam share the same Pot). In the end, only two out of five made it into Vietnam's group. This is very painful as a watcher myself.

Like a bunch of Vietnamese fans who waved the red flag with a golden star in various stadiums in the Eastern part of Europe during the UEFA Euro 2020, they only wanted to seek attention, to tell how Vietnamese love and admire football. Grotesquely, Vietnamese fanatic supporters often refuse to see the dangerous fact of being unrealistic. Vietnam's arch-rival Thailand delivers not just one, but two painful experiences. Back in 2018 qualifiers, the Thais once stated that Thailand was strong enough to conquer Asia's football by their charming Tik-Tok style (a punch word from Tiki-Taka) developed by Thai legend and former team coach Kiatisuk Senamuang. Thailand topped their group in the second stage, ahead of Iraq and Vietnam itself, but when it comes to the third round, Thai Tik-Tok immediately unravelled when facing Japan, Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq - Thailand was crushed with no mercy, gathering only two points out of ten games. Back further in 2002 qualifiers, when Kiatisuk was still an instrumental player of the Thai Elephants, they beat Lebanon to top their group, but in the final round, they were thrashed by Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, only gaining four points out of eight, including two draws to Bahrain.

No team from Southeast Asia has tried that hard like Thailand, but the Thais can't even win a single match in this final phase. What can we expect from Vietnam? Vietnam has not even gained a draw toward these teams. Not to say, Vietnam can face a dangerous prospect of being unable to host home games, considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the lack of VAR, the V-League in Vietnam being one of the very few football leagues in Asia to not have such technology. Currently, the VFF has made a temporary agreement to allow VAR to function in Vietnam, monitored by the AFC team - but how will the Vietnamese regime handle the pandemic, remains questionable.

In the end, just like those attention-seekers waving Vietnamese flags in the UEFA Euro 2020, it is definitely being used to ridicule rather than to be praised. And if Vietnam can't qualify for the big stage, then Vietnamese fans are just as lunatics as themselves.