When Analysis Is Empty: Vietnamese Football Writers Must Learn from VAR Referees

A comprehensive assessment was just released showing that all information fields of an analytical article were empty. No match details, no tactical diagrams, no transfer contracts, no statistics. This reminds me of a principle I have learned after nine years as a VAR analyst and football data expert: “Every slow-motion replay has its own truth. My job is to find the undeniable truth.” Truth cannot exist if we have no data at all. In Vietnam, football is growing rapidly, but along with that is a problem: many articles, many tactical analyses are written based on emotion, based on the noise of the crowd, rather than on verifiable numbers. I remember the 2026 season when stadiums were empty due to the pandemic. I collected data from 18 rounds of V-League. I found that the home team's win rate dropped from 42% to 31%. If I had only looked at one season, I would have concluded that home advantage no longer matters. But my supervisor advised me to compare with the previous 5 seasons. Then I realized the change was not significant because the sample size was too small. So I wrote down the principle: “I do not believe in luck. I believe in numbers that repeat a hundred times.” Looking at the empty assessment, we see a larger issue: the lack of data is not limited to the analysis room but is also prevalent in how Vietnamese sports media operates. Many websites and newspapers spread transfer rumors without verifying sources. Many articles praise or criticize players based on a single match, a viral moment on social media. One of the most important lessons I learned is: “Empty stadiums taught me that noise never scores goals.” The passionate atmosphere, the crowd's enthusiasm, and social media comments cannot replace evidence-based analysis. A good referee is one who is not influenced by cheers. A good analyst is one who is not swayed by fleeting trends. What is the lesson from this empty assessment? It is that we must recognize that to have a sustainable football development, we need not only good players and good coaches, but also responsible writers and analysts. They must know how to read data, how to contextualize numbers, and know that a figure only makes sense when repeated and compared with reality. I have been following the National U19 Championship since 2026, when I was a volunteer statistician. I recorded 47 fouls and 12 offsides in a match between U19 Hanoi and U19 SHB Da Nang. I found that the referee missed a foul in the penalty area at the 78th minute, leading to a controversial goal. I created a table comparing it with IFAB rules and sent it to the organizers, but received no response. This shows one of the reasons Vietnamese youth football has not reached its full potential: we lack a serious data analysis system. When I say “numerous numbers that repeat a hundred times,” I mean analysts should not draw conclusions from a small sample. For example, when a player scores in two consecutive matches, many hasten to call him a “phenomenon.” But if you look at 50 matches, you may see that his conversion rate is only average. The crowd is always driven by emotion, but data is not. I apply this principle when analyzing VAR. Some controversies lead the public to believe the referee was wrong, but after reviewing all camera angles, I saw that the referee made the correct decision according to law. Conversely, some seemingly reasonable decisions lack basis in subtle situations that the naked eye misses. VAR is a tool, but it is only valuable when operated by people who understand the rules and can analyze data. In Vietnam, we need to build a culture of “verify before writing.” I once asked my colleagues to provide at least two independent data sources before publishing an analysis. Many thought I was too rigid. But I believe that if we all do this, Vietnamese football will benefit. Look at major leagues like the Premier League or La Liga; they have massive data centers. Journalists can access detailed information about each player: distance covered, number of accelerations, movement positions. In Vietnam, we are lagging behind. But that does not mean we cannot start. One observation about modern football is the intrusion of data analysts into the locker room. Many young coaches are obsessing over numbers to the point of forgetting the actual rhythm of the match. I realize that data should only be a tool, not the decision maker. However, in a country where data collection is still crude, using data blindly is even more dangerous. We need a revolution in thinking. Vietnamese sports journalists should be trained in data analysis skills. They should learn to use tools like Excel, R, or Python to process numbers. But above all, they need a positive skeptical attitude: doubting numbers published without clear origins, doubting stories built from a lucky moment. Returning to the empty assessment: this is not a failure but an opportunity to reflect on how we approach football. If we admit that without data we cannot analyze, we will begin to build professional data collection systems. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) needs to cooperate with international organizations to enhance the capacity of local analysts. Clubs also need to invest more in their analysis departments. Currently, very few V-League clubs have a dedicated data analyst. Instead, they rely on the coach's intuition. Meanwhile, top Asian teams have already used data to optimize recruitment, prevent injuries, and build tactics. One of my experiences in 2026, when I followed the World Cup in Russia, was building an Excel spreadsheet with data from 64 matches. I noticed that France ranked only 7th in possession but became champions. If I had not rechecked by watching the highlights of 10 matches, I could have drawn the wrong conclusion that possession is unimportant. But the truth is France had low possession but was very effective in counter-attacking. Every number is context-specific. That is why I always remind myself: “Football does not change because you look at it more carefully. Football changes because you look at it more correctly.” Data never forgets, but the crowd is always distorted. To see correctly, you need methods and patience. In Vietnam, referee debates are frequent. Recently, in a match between Hanoi FC and Ho Chi Minh City FC, there was a controversial incident that frustrated fans. Instead of just criticizing the referee, we should analyze why the referee made that decision. Was the viewing angle obscured? Was there a lack of VAR information? Analyzing the causes will help us improve the system, rather than finding someone to blame. A trend I worry about is young Vietnamese coaches sacrificing technique for physicality. This is true at the U18 level, where teams focus on making players bigger, stronger, and more aggressive, forgetting that football is a game of intelligence and technique. Data may show that teams with better possession often win more, but only when applied in the right context. I hosted the program “Football Night” for three years. That experience taught me that audiences need simple analyses, but they must still be accurate. If we only present raw numbers without explaining their meaning, viewers will switch off. Conversely, if we tell stories without data, we lose trust. Imagine an article with no specific figures about transfer fees, goals, or assists. What value does it have? But in reality, there are many such articles. They are empty assessments, just not labeled as such. In conclusion, building a Vietnamese football data foundation is crucial. Every match, every player, and every tactic can be modeled with numbers. But numbers are only valuable when we know how to place them in context and when we validate them at different times. “Numbers only count when they repeat a hundred times” is my compass. So, if one day you read an analysis that seems profound but lacks any evidence, ask questions. Do not let emptiness deceive you. Demand data, demand sources, demand accuracy. Only then can Vietnamese football truly develop.