Coach Troussier: 'Vietnam's playing style is more modern than before'

Thanks to a narrow victory over Yemen, Vietnam is sure to top Group C and win an early ticket to the 2024 U23 Asian finals. In the opening match, the team crushed Guam 6-0. Coach Troussier said he was satisfied with completing his goal of winning tickets to the final round in Qatar, thereby maintaining his goal of reaching the 2024 Olympics.

"I feel proud of the players' fighting spirit, as well as the fact that they adhere to discipline throughout the match, counterattack properly and know how to wait for the right opportunity to strike the finishing blow," he said. After the match at Viet Tri Stadium.

Before the match, Yemen was only inferior to Vietnam in difference (+3 compared to +6). Therefore, they approached the match cautiously, defending in large numbers and lurking for counterattacks to find opportunities. According to coach Troussier, that makes it difficult for Vietnam to find space to attack. "In the first half, my players were a bit tense due to the pressure to continue early, leading to many passing errors and lack of continuity in coordination. In the second half, we had to change personnel and tactics. ", said the French military leader, adding that Ho Van Cuong was the trump card in this match, while Luong Duy Cuong was brought in to replace Ngoc Thang who received a yellow card.

After missed opportunities, Vietnam seemed to have to share points with Yemen. Unexpectedly, the score was opened in the 80th minute with a corner kick with the participation of two players brought in by coach Troussier in the second half. From Khuat Van Khang's cross into the penalty area, Bui Vi Hao chose a favorable position to jump high and head the ball close to the edge of the inside post, not giving goalkeeper Al Sadi a chance to block. "I always say the starting player is the starter, and the substitutes are the finisher. Bui Vi Hao is both the finishing player and the player who finishes the match. We will continue to improve. in the future," coach Troussier added.

Regarding playing style, the 68-year-old coach said he wants his players to adhere to certain rules on how to play, following the pattern of each training day. "Previously, Vietnam's goals were random situations or luck. Now there are also moments that require luck, but the gameplay is more modern," he said. "What I want from the players is to change their approach thinking, to further improve the quality on the field, to connect more smoothly. The current European trend is to receive 95% of the time. ball, pass the ball. Man City even reached 100%. There are matches in Vietnam, the average ball rolling is 20%, the rest are disputes, unclear actions, fouls, penalties or corner kicks. I change the approach to the match, control the ball. It is not always easy to get to the bottom of the field, drill holes. But long matches need one or two reasonable situations to resolve. After the match, I saw the press saying that it was natural for Vietnam to win Guam. But today Yemen is not like that. Vietnam won because it forced Yemen to make mistakes and reveal mistakes. To do that smoothly, we need to do it. personal strengthening".