Silent Lonesome Man

On 17 February 2022, VTC News, a state-controlled media outlet, like the rest of Vietnamese government-controlled media in the communist country, broadcasted a number of veterans about the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. These veterans were among the most vocal, having condemned China in this war and urged for the state to finally speak out toward this war and referring its enemy directly - China, again and again. They also warn the government to be careful about the northern neighbour. But these narratives were just a recent development. Until 2014, these narratives were often unheard and there had been censorship, even political repercussions, toward people mentioning it. Seven years later, elaborative efforts finally gave the voices of the war to the light, but it is not sure when will it be talked directly - because it is related to one problem: the government. The 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War was a war where China began launching invasions against Vietnam as a response to Vietnamese topp...

South Korea has been an Asian football superpower for quite a long time, began in 1956 when the AFC Asian Cup was first organised. Yes, the world's second-oldest continental football competition, older than the more popular UEFA European Championship. The two first editions, 1956 and 1960, were won by the Koreans, and it stood as the country's only major international honours. Still now. The same issue happens to the FIFA World Cup. South Korea has qualified ten times, the most among all Asian nations, the first in 1954, and from 1986 onward. In spite of this richness, South Korea only progressed from the group stage twice, first in 2002 held at home soil (with a lot of controversies surrounding) and second in 2010. Well, the 2002 World Cup fourth-place of South Korea, though remains scandalous, appears to be also the best of South Korea on the international football stage. South Korea, in words and by some respect, a formidable football power somehow slides into the wrong path...

When Iran advanced to the final phase of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification in the Asian zone, there is a lot of optimism when Iran was drawn into a group that also includes South Korea, the UAE, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Many Iranians are hoping to make its third consecutive World Cup appearance, but with the way how Iran demonstrated in the second round, and further past, it is something to take concerns rather than any celebration. It should be. Iran finished top of their group D at the second phase, ahead of Iraq and Bahrain. But Iran's performance was not consistent, it was drowned twice by Bahrain and Iraq, floundered in third place with a nervous warning sign of an early elimination. At that time, Iran was led by Belgian manager Marc Wilmots. After Wilmots was fired, Iran appointed Croatian Dragan Skočić as coach, and he temporarily solved these problems well. But if this is new for many Iranians and new-era football fans, perhaps older memories may indicate Iran is not as...