Vietnamese football lacks data: When the analysis report is only 'N/A'

In a rare move in Vietnam's sports world, an in-depth analysis was released this week but all key indices were left blank or marked 'N/A' – meaning 'no data'. As a result, the report contained only generic statements, failing to evaluate tactics, players, finances or risks. So what is happening with domestic sports analysis processes? According to a veteran basketball reporter in Saigon, there are too many sports reports written based on emotion, lacking verification, and when a new analysis system is applied, the truth is empty. Vietnamese football in particular is developing well in terms of media but lacks standardized data: no PPDA, no official distance covered or heat maps per game. This is something journalist James White – a Vietnamese-American – has warned about for years: don't create flashy analytical tables when the raw data layer is empty. In an interview, White said: "People call it a slip; I call it the place where I start standing firm. In the Vietnamese football market, what needs to be done is not to create more reports, but to build data collection systems from lower leagues, from unpaid wages, to player contract values." The story about an empty analysis can be seen as a mirror reflecting many media organizations. Talking about news hunting, White always puts 'credibility' above all. The analysis we mentioned above may not be wrong in structure: it lists enough categories – tactics, players, budget, rules, risks... but every answer is 'N/A'. That means the author or team either lacked sufficient input data, or intentionally released a hasty report. If it were a transfer rumor, it would broadcast fake news, potentially damaging a player's reputation. "Modric doesn't need an armband – the whole pitch knows who sets the tempo." But if you ask which club's midfielder this is in that analysis, there is no way to answer. Experts point out that the core issue lies in the youth development system and awareness. Vietnam has tournaments like V.League, First Division, National Cup, but player contracts usually have too few specific clauses about performance, and youth training centers are not evenly developed. Football managers prefer fairytales over accounting numbers. "No football in summer, but I clearly hear echoes of unpaid wages." Consequently, many funded analytical reports only serve PR purposes, not based on actual data. Moreover, the current data collection methods of Vietnamese clubs are mostly manual and unsynchronized. While big football nations like England or Spain use GPS and full-pitch cameras to estimate endurance, in Vietnam even basic metrics like distance covered by a striker are rarely published. Many teams lack dedicated video analysts; some hire internal data analysts but with no common standards. Therefore, when seeing a report full of 'N/A', it may be seen as an honest move: when there is nothing to say, say nothing. However, a contrarian view is quite interesting: this emptiness reflects the actual truth, and could open the door for new policies. If everyone realizes that producing unfounded analyses is meaningless, they will find ways to invest in data. Vietnamese football has had achievements like reaching the World Cup qualifiers, but those were due to luck and passion, not systems. Youth academies such as PVF, HAGL Arsenal JMG are the only proud exceptions. The question is whether we dare to admit blind spots and build a national football database. Clubs like Song Lam Nghe An, Hanoi FC, or TP.HCM FC have good domestic players, but still lack tactical data: where to press, safe passing zones – they have no real-time statistical reports. A veteran sports journalist said: "I write about others' dreams, but I am the most sober one in the meeting room." In press conferences, coaches often reply based on emotions, not specific numbers. That makes pre-match predictions subjective. Look at Japanese or Korean analysis before matches – they always have data to persuade. We hope that one day 'N/A' will turn into vivid numbers. There must be a revolution in Vietnam's sports management. First, federations and leagues should enforce minimum data collection rules: possession time, pass count, distance covered. Second, clubs should equip GPS and camera tracking – the cost is not too high if considered long-term. Third, sports journalists must change their mentality, not rely on hearsay. Match video analysis should be public as a reference source. We cannot blame analysts for honestly filling 'N/A' when there is no data. Instead, that is a signal for the whole system to change. Vietnam has made history with U23 Changchun, but to go further, we need to shift from 'heart' to 'brain', combined with heart. Remember, football is not just a fairy tale with a happy ending; it is also an accounting book with every number. If we keep leaving data columns empty, all analyses will forever be blank pages. If there is no data, say so clearly – don't make things up. That is a cleansing solution for the whole industry. Because in the end, an honest answer is more precious than a fake report. Let this summer listen to the sound of the ball rolling and let us have more data for the coming season.