Coach Philippe Troussier: “U23 Vietnam still missed many opportunities, should have scored 3-4 more goals”
Speaking after the opening match in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 Qualifier, coach Philippe Troussier agreed that U23 Vietnam missed a few opportunities, leading to not being able to score 3-4 more goals against U23 Guam. But overall, the French coach is still satisfied with what his players have shown.
07/09/2023 09:53:33
Looking back at the 6-0 win against U23 Guam, coach Philippe Troussier said: “First of all, congratulations to U23 Vietnam on their playing style as well as their spirit of determination and effort until the last minute. In addition to the goal of winning against U23 Guam, I also aim and hope that U23 Vietnam would win according to what the coaching staff and players have prepared on the training field. The players were persistent and came up with a suitable plan against U23 Guam.
We always try to improve our play every day on the pitse. I understand that there will be criticism because U23 Vietnam should have scored more goals. I agree because U23 Vietnam has many opportunities, should have scored 3 or 4 more goals into the opponent’s net. However, overall, I believe the players are imbibing the style of play I propose. They had more wise and sober handling situations. U23 Vietnam is playing with what I want to reach the long-term goal of reaching out to the continent.”
He continued: “As a coach, I want to find ways to help the team win, especially through the tactics that the whole team has prepared. In this match, I don’t know if everyone will observe my attitude or not. In the first 10 minutes, I knew the problem of U23 Vietnam. That is a lack of balance, especially when operating at the right side position. Right after that, I signaled Van Cuong to start. I see that the players always try to complete their tasks.
In the second half, Van Cuong helped U23 Vietnam have a clear advantage. We have analyzed and drawn the conclusion that U23 Guam’s weaknesses lie on both sides. In the locker room, I reminded them that they needed to exploit more space on the edge to create opportunities. In the second half, U.23 Vietnam had many dangerous plays on the sidelines. Duc Phu is not a full-back, that is not his forte position. On the other wing, Minh Trong and Van Khang had many dangerous situations.”
U23 Vietnam will meet U23 Yemen on September 9, this is a pivotal match to decide the ticket to the U23 Asian Cup 2024 of both teams. Coach Troussier said: “After this match, I will return to observe and evaluate more about U23 Yemen. They won against U23 Singapore with a score of 3-0, so the match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Yemen will be pivotal. The winning team will almost certainly advance. With what U23 Vietnam has shown, especially in the second half, I believe this victory as well as the performance on the field will help the players be more confident, how to operate the game better and effectively, especially in face-to-face situation. I will further analyze U23 Yemen’s weaknesses and adjust accordingly for this competition.
For me, there is no player who is certain to hold the starting position. The final selection is based on their form and performance at that time. I have about 80 Vietnamese U23 players who can basically handle tactical operations. The starting players are suitable for the present, but as you can see, the true today, may not be the true tomorrow.
My way of working with national team levels, like the recent short gathering, is to continuously find ways to build up and supplement the strength of the national team. I called many players even though they were not allowed to play in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. I give them the opportunity to get used to my requirements, which also encourages and motivates them even though they have many players at their level, which will build the team and help these players create competitive pressure with the players who are playing at the moment.”
