U23 Vietnam - U23 Kyrgyzstan: Find the first victory

* Vietnam - Kyrgyzstan: 0h30 on March 29, Hanoi time.

Mr. Troussier's first two matches as the head coach of the Vietnamese teams ended with bold defeats 0-3 at the hands of Iraq, then 0-4 against the UAE. Therefore, Vietnam is currently ranked last in the 10 teams participating in the U23 Doha Cup friendly tournament. The match against Kyrgyzstan in the final round of the tournament tomorrow morning is an opportunity for the team to regain the trust of the fans and close the tournament with a positive result.

Vietnam will welcome defender Vu Tien Long and midfielder Vo Hoang Minh Khoa back. The duo had to miss the UAE match due to receiving a red card in the opening match against Iraq. Goalkeeper Doan Huy Hoang was also able to return despite having to wear a headband. Before that, he suffered a tear in his forehead in the match against the UAE in a situation where he tried to push the ball and hit the post.

But the problem with coach Troussier is not personnel, but player psychology. After two strong defeats, his students were shaken, faced with criticism and suspicion. During the training session on March 26, coach Troussier had to reassure the students: "Don't worry about the results because I am the one responsible."

Mr. Troussier himself is also under pressure to compare with his predecessor Park Hang-seo. However, the reality shows that the French coach is more difficult, because the existing team lacks quality. When Coach Park was in charge of the Asian U23 Championship, many of his students such as Nguyen Quang Hai, Doan Van Hau, Nguyen Cong Phuong, etc. had a lot of experience in fighting in the V-League as well as international youth tournaments. Mr. Troussier's U23 team currently has little international football due to the influence of Covid-19 for the past three years, and is only a reserve card in domestic tournaments.

Coach Troussier's philosophy is also different from his predecessor, when he wanted his students to control the ball and attack actively. The French military leader emphasized: "Currently, if we meet Japan or Korea, we only hold the ball 30-40%. If we want to play at a higher level, we must increase the ball control rate. This is not easy and it is not possible to do it right away. We will try to improve step by step."

Meeting two strong opponents Iraq and the UAE, Vietnam has not been able to do as coach Troussier expected. However, against a mid-range Kyrgyzstan, who also lost two matches in a row to Oman and Kuwait, Mr. Troussier's players had the opportunity to show their ability to control the ball and attack proactively.

U23 Doha Cup is a friendly tournament, Vietnam does not place much emphasis on achievements. What Coach Troussier wants is that the players understand and adapt to his playing philosophy, in order to best prepare for the 32nd SEA Games that will take place in Cambodia in May.

U23 Vietnam: Liem Dieu; Tuan Tai, Tien Long, Duy Cuong; Tuan Duong, Minh Khoa, Duc Viet, Van Do; Van Khang, Quoc Viet, Thanh Nhan.

Kyrgyz U23: Artem Pryadkin; Kultaev, Kanybekov, Stanbekov, Toktosunov, Kenzhebaev, Nurlan, Kerzbekov, Akylbekov, Zarypbekov, Nasirov.