Head coach Philippe Troussier: “The goal of U22 Vietnam is to defend the championship at the SEA Games 32”
Today (April 17), the U22 Vietnam team entered the first training session at Ba Ria Vung Tau Stadium to prepare for the SEA Games 32. Before the training session, head coach Philippe Troussier spent time to interview the press. The French coach said that despite facing difficulties, the goal of U22 Vietnam is still to defend the championship.
17/04/2023 19:54:29
Head coach Philippe Troussier said he was satisfied with the conditions in Ba Ria – Vung Tau and the reason why U22 Vietnam chose this place as a training camp before the SEA Games 32 was because most of the match in Cambodia took place in hot and sunny conditions. That is similar to the environment in Ba Ria – Vung Tau.
He also expressed his joy when he saw the players have the opportunity to play in matches at the V.League. “In the past 3 weeks, about 80-90% of the players of U22 Vietnam have played in the V.League. This is very important for the preparation of the 32nd SEA Games,” said coach Philippe Troussier.
According to the results of the 32 SEA Games men’s football draw, U22 Vietnam is in the same group with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos. Evaluating the opponents as well as the goals of U22 Vietnam, coach Philippe Troussier said: “All the upcoming opponents are familiar in Southeast Asia. They will have their own ambitions, even championships. No match will be easy. Thailand is still the strongest team. However, we have researched and the goal is to defend the championship.”
In the process of preparing for the SEA Games 32, the U22 Vietnam team went through 4 training stages in March, including participating in the international friendly tournament U23 Cup in Doha. Despite not achieving a good result in terms of scores, coach Philippe Troussier is not worried about it. “The players played against the top names in Asia. Through this tournament, we had a preliminary assessment of the players. Of course they still have a lot of tactical flaws, but now it’s time to improve the player’s ability. We don’t have good results in Doha. But if U22 Vietnam players only play against domestic teams, there is no good experience. This gives the players a lot more confidence, so in the near future when playing against rivals in the same region, the players will play better.”
According to the regulations of men’s football at the SEA Games 32, teams will register an official list with a maximum of 20 players, including a minimum of 2 goalkeepers. The number of U22 Vietnam is currently 31. Thus, coach Philippe Troussier will have to remove 11 players. When asked about the criteria for selecting personnel for U22 Vietnam, Mr. Philippe Troussier said: “I appreciate the versatility of players, if not multi-functional, it is difficult to be selected. To reach the final, we will have to go through 6 matches, not to mention the case of suspension and penalty card… Therefore, calculating how to fit will be very important work. I try to create as many tests as possible so that the players can play as many positions as possible. So far I am satisfied with the unity and discipline of the whole team.”
Coach Philippe Troussier added: “I remember at least 6 players in the current squad who attended the SEA Games 31. They will help teammates in difficult times. Pressure is the driving force in life, the whole team must try to find a way to perfect the game. Victory is only for those who perform the best on the field. If you want to win, you must act, not just talk. Not only U22 Vietnam, other competitors also have the same determination.
When asked about the absence of young striker Vo Nguyen Hoang, coach Philippe Troussier said: “I know well about Nguyen Hoang’s case. It is a pity that he cannot attend the 32nd SEA Games. At the time to finalize the preliminary list, I discussed with the coach of PVF. He’s not 100% healthy yet so I didn’t put him on the preliminary list. However, the current striker also has many good options. Nguyen Hoang is still in my sights.”
The French military leader added: “The summoning of a large number of players is not only for the 32nd SEA Games but also for other preparations for U23 and the Vietnamese team. This group has a lot of potential players so I make the most of the opportunity for them to focus. From this group of 31 players I will reduce to 22 and 20 players. SEA Games 32 is a tournament but also a part for a further goal.”
