Coach Troussier: 'Vietnam should have won more than 6-0'
As head coach, Troussier congratulated the Vietnamese players for their good performance in gameplay, determination and solidarity to the end. He said that, in addition to completing the winning goal, the students also did exactly what they prepared and practiced.
"Of course there will be a lot of criticism, because the team can score more goals. We can score three more. But the players are improving, they are handling more and more sober. This is what we do. needed if you want to reach the continental level," the French leader said in a press conference after the match at Viet Tri Stadium.
Before the match, Vietnam was highly appreciated, thanks to the home field advantage, the selected players and the class that has been confirmed in the U23 Asian playground (five times in the qualifying round, four times in the final round). and ranked second in 2018). On the contrary, Guam comes from an underdeveloped football background, ranked only 203rd in the world - above five other teams, and appearing in the qualifying round 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 kick and massive defense, the home players continuously bombarded, but it wasn't until the 33rd minute that they could open the scoring 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 its effectiveness, while many Guam players showed signs of weakness. 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, in just the first 10 minutes he realized that the home team was unbalanced, especially the right full-back, so he asked Ho Van Cuong to warm up, but given the situation and Guam's low level, he was in no hurry to adjust. Adjust and continue to let students operate as before. "When analyzing, I realized that the opponent was weak on the edge. Therefore, in the hour between the two halves, I asked the players to continue exploiting this weakness. And from there we have many opportunities," said the military leader. 68 years old said.
This year, the U23 group has many awards, 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 is firmly in every team and his choice depends on the best form of the player. at that time. "In the current U23 generation, I have 80 names, 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 wanted to make up for the team. the team. Create competitive pressure with the players playing".
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 them will have pivotal significance. "The team that wins the upcoming match will have many advantages in advancing 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.
