Coach Troussier: 'Vietnam can win more than 6-0'
As head coach, Troussier congratulated the players for showing good play, determination and solidarity until the end in the match at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of September 6. He said that, in addition to achieving the goal of victory, the students did the right thing in preparation and practice.
"Of course there will be a lot of criticism, because the team could have scored more goals. We could have scored three more goals. But the players are improving, they are handling it more and more consciously. This is what we needed if we want to reach the continental level," said the French military leader.
Vietnam is highly appreciated, thanks to the home field advantage, the players are considered "first-class" of the U23 group and the level has been tested in the Asian U23 playground (five times in the qualifying round, four times in the final round). finals and ranked second in 2018). In contrast, Guam comes from a weak football background, ranking only 203 in the world - above five other teams, and making it to the qualifiers for the first time.
However, the first few minutes were more difficult than Troussier's teachers and students predicted. In front of Guam's solid rock style and large defense, it was not until the 33rd minute that the host could open the score thanks to Le Van Do. At the beginning of the second half, Vietnam doubled the gap with Nguyen Van Tung's penalty. From here, coach Troussier's army found efficiency, in the context of many Guam players down. The team scored four more goals, respectively, thanks to Ho Van Cuong, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Hoang Van Toan and Bui Vi Hao.
According to coach Troussier, the first 10 minutes he noticed that the home team was unbalanced, especially the right-back, so he asked Ho Van Cuong to warm up, but considering the actual situation and low level of Guam, he did not adjust. but continues to let students operate as before. "When analyzing, I found that the opponent was weak on the edge. So during the half-time break, I asked the players to continue to exploit this weakness. And from there we have many opportunities," the house said. The 68-year-old leader said.
This year, the U23 group has many tournaments so it is divided into two teams. Besides coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team who just won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the main team led by coach Troussier attended the Asian U23 qualifier. When asked if today's squad is the best version, the French strategist said that no player has a certain position in every team and his choice depends on good form. player's best at that time. "In the current U23 group, I have 80 names who, when summoned, can meet my requirements. Right now, they are good faces. But today's choice is not necessarily tomorrow's choice. I I always want to foster the team. I have called up many players, although most of them are not on the list to compete in this U23 tournament. But I want to cultivate and motivate them. This will build well for the team. team, creating competitive pressure on the players currently competing."
In the next round on September 9, Vietnam played Yemen - the team that defeated Singapore 3-0. Coach Troussier said he needs to do more research before making an assessment of Yemen's capabilities, and believes that the match with this opponent will have pivotal significance. "The team that wins the upcoming match has many advantages to win tickets to the next round. But with what was shown in the last match, we are confident. The team only needs small adjustments to operate more effectively," he said.
