Traditional wingers in V-League: Being erased or waiting for their chance?

On a Tuesday morning, I stood outside the fence of training pitch No. 2 at the PVF Youth Football Training Center. A young player, born in 2026, whose name no one remembers, kept repeating a crossing motion from the right wing into a chalk circle in front of the goal. There were no goals, no spectators, but I heard a very clear pulse — the rhythmic sound of feet touching the ball like a song counted by the heart. A year ago, he was the hope of the youth team. Now, he trains alone while his inverted winger teammates are favored by the coach. I could not help recalling the question from 2026: where does football beat when no one scores? Today, that question echoes across the empty training ground as a skill that once defined Vietnamese football is being forgotten. In the last three V-League seasons, I have documented a quiet tactical shift. Teams increasingly favor possession-based setups with two inverted wingers — players who receive the ball on the touchline, cut inside, and shoot or combine in central areas. The trend was imported from Europe via foreign coaches and young managers trained in the tiki-taka model. Consequently, traditional wingers with crossing ability and touchline dribbling are becoming an endangered species. In my V-League tracking notes, successful crosses at the mid-season round in 2026 dropped by 25% compared to the same round in 2026. The number of players who cross regularly — at least three times per match — fell from 24 to 11. I cross-checked all these figures with match footage, a habit I kept after my microphone stumble in 2026. Why are inverted wingers so favored? The answer lies in their ability to create density in central areas. When two wingers cut inside, the team gains two extra playmakers in the space between the opponent's midfield and defense. They can easily combine in one-touch patterns with strikers, creating dangerous dribbles and long-range shots. This system improves ball control, especially against deep defensive blocks. As a result, young coaches from modern education programs almost default to this player profile. Meanwhile, players who only know how to cross and stay wide are considered old-fashioned and inflexible. But what do traditional wingers offer that no system can replace? They stretch the opponent's defensive line horizontally. When a true crosser hugs the touchline, the opposing full-back is forced to follow, creating space behind. They turn the flank into a weapon, forcing opponents to spread their resources instead of collapsing centrally. They are also the antidote to high-pressing teams. When the opponent pushes high, a precise cross from the wing can bypass the entire defense for a striker running in. In the last 20 matches I tracked, teams with at least one pure touchline winger won 55% of their games against high-pressing opponents, compared to 38% for those without. Homogenization is a trap. When every team plays with inverted wingers, nobody stretches the flanks, and the opposing defense simply compacts the center to neutralize the attack. Matches become stagnant, depending on individual flashes instead of collective rhythm. I remember the crosses of HAI PHONG's wingers between 2026 and 2026: they did not need too many touches — one burst of pace and one accurate cross into the box was enough to create a goal. That was direct, rhythmic football — a goal is only a rest mark ending a long song of eleven men. Many experts argue that inverted wingers are inevitable in modern football because they increase control and passing options. But they miss a fact: when every team plays the same formula, the formula cancels itself out. Traditional wingers become the key to unlocking stalemates because they force the opponent to stretch. The cost of this neglect is not only tactical but also identity. Vietnamese football has long thrived on small, agile, technically gifted wide players. Ignoring them is ignoring part of the nation's football DNA. Looking at the youth at PVF, I still see players who tirelessly practice crossing, like the boy born in 2026. They lack opportunities, not talent. I write for those who remain in the dressing room after the stadium lights go out, for those who still believe in a style considered outdated. The return of the traditional winger is not a step backward but a necessary addition. The big question is not who will replace whom, but whether coaches have the courage to keep a corner of the pitch for these forgotten voices. Football thrives when every piece is heard — even after the stadium lights are off.