Vietnam National Team: When things get tough, there's Le Pham Thanh Long

Despite being only 1m65 and having a small build, Le Pham Thanh Long always manages to stand out when it matters.

The first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final between Malaysia and Vietnam took place on the grass pitch in Kuala Lumpur. The referee was about to blow the whistle to end the first half as stoppage time was nearly over and the clock was about to tick to 50 minutes.

Spotting Truong Tien Anh on the right flank, Le Pham Thanh Long launched a pinpoint long pass from midfield to the touchline. Truong Tien Anh controlled it perfectly with his first touch, dribbled a few steps, then crossed for Xuan Son to leap and head into an empty net, opening the scoring.

Tien Anh's first touch and cross were superb, and Xuan Son's powerful header was impressive, but first and foremost, praise must go to Thanh Long for his sharp awareness and textbook long-range pass.

The classy pass from the defensive midfielder playing for Hanoi Police FC was perfectly timed with Truong Tien Anh's overlapping run, opening up a gap that Malaysia had previously sealed off, and shortening both the time and distance to reach the goal, forcing the home defense into a passive position and leading to the goal.

That was just the latest moment to showcase Thanh Long's class. This diminutive midfielder (only 1m65 tall) has been impressing since the earlier matches of the ASEAN Cup 2026.

In the 3-0 victory over Indonesia, Thanh Long was included in the starting XI by coach Kim Sang-sik in place of Quang Hai, and he repaid the Korean tactician's faith with a high-quality display, showcasing excellent midfield command and impressive ability to initiate attacks and counterattacks.

The 30-year-old midfielder completed 11 out of 12 passes into the opponent's final third (92% accuracy), won 6 out of 9 duels (67%), and provided the assist for Hai Long's goal to make it 2-0, splitting the defense with a perfectly placed through ball to the left for his teammate to run onto and score. Consequently, Thanh Long received a rating of 7.9/10, the second highest among Vietnamese players, trailing only Hoang Duc.

Continuing to prove his talent, Le Pham Thanh Long delivered another impressive display in the 3-1 victory over Cambodia. It was no coincidence that he earned a rating of 9.1/10, second only to Dinh Bac among the Vietnamese players in that game.

Why did Thanh Long get such a high rating? In this match, he won all three of his duels, had 24 out of 29 accurate passes into Cambodia's final third (83% accuracy). Most notably, Thanh Long demonstrated keen awareness and delivered a classy pass that eliminated five Cambodian players, allowing Dinh Bac to burst through and score the goal that sealed Vietnam's 3-1 win in the 89th minute.

That was a situation in midfield. Seeing Dinh Bac ahead and ready to sprint, Thanh Long sent a floated pass with just the right weight for his teammate. If it had been a low pass, it would have been very difficult to succeed because the Cambodian players could have intercepted it. But Thanh Long opted for a lofted pass. A smart decision made quickly and executed with perfect technique.

Coach Kim Sang-sik can only be pleased with his pupil. With Hoang Duc and Thanh Long, he currently possesses the best central midfield duo for the Vietnam national team.

Thanh Long's presence in midfield not only boosts our ability to compete in the center of the park but also adds a dangerous passer who can create breakthroughs in attacking situations or transitions.