Not a simple cocktail
Looking at the national team training sessions after exactly one year of coach Philippe Troussier taking over, it is easy to see one outstanding detail: Mr. Troussier always takes advantage of the Vietnamese national team as a training ground for the youth.
During friendly matches, the French coach often calls both the national team and U.23 Vietnam, then lets the two teams practice on the same field, with the same training plan, and evaluate with the same standards.
"The boundary between the national team and the U.23 team is only on paper. I want to narrow the gap between the seniors and the young generation. I only choose the right player, regardless of his reputation," coach Troussier explained.
The Vietnamese team needs to combine experience and youth in the right "dosage"
In official tournaments, Mr. Troussier only calls the Vietnamese team, but will "insert" many young players to practice with the main players. Even in the Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team has the top youth force in the tournament, with many young stars stepping into the Asian national team for the first time.
That is the "comb teeth" method that the French coach used in many teams before coming to Vietnam. Coach Troussier wants to build the next generation right in the heart of the current generation.
In the context that young players mostly lack experience in V-League (a playground that Mr. Troussier actually does not appreciate), interweaving young stars to play alongside seniors in major tournaments is a way for the coaching staff to push their students to progress.
However, mixing the team's mainstays with the youth is similar to mixing a cocktail - a drink made from the perfect blend of alcohol and fruit flavors, milk, cream or honey or some other flavoring. The ratio of alcohol and "additives" must be ensured to be perfectly suitable for a truly delicious cocktail.
What is Mr. Troussier planning?
Coach Troussier's "mixology" is the same. If there are too few young players, the Vietnamese team will find it difficult to change to a new style of play and will easily run out of steam in important matches. Because the team's mainstays no longer have a good physical foundation, are considered difficult to shape their thinking, and lack ambition...
But if there are too many inexperienced players, making personal mistakes, playing well or poorly, and being mentally stressed... is a matter of time, as happened at the 2023 Asian Cup.
How to 'set the comb teeth' correctly?
In the training session for the match against Indonesia, Coach Troussier may again give space to the young stars. The 2024 U.23 Asian Cup is approaching. This is the playground where the "White Witch" and his students dream of winning tickets to the Olympics.
However, the difficulty lies in the fact that many U.23 players are not playing regularly in the V-League. If this situation continues, the players will lose confidence and lose the feeling to compete.
The training camp from March 12 is a rare opportunity for Coach Troussier to bring his players to the national team to practice. Interspersing training sessions with senior players, or more fortunately, participating in the two matches against Indonesia on March 21 and 26 will help the young stars gain valuable experience.
U.23 Vietnam prepares to compete in the 2024 U.23 Asian Cup
However, coach Troussier also needs to remember: his time of experimentation is over. The French strategist needs to complete his own perfect cocktail right now, to ensure the goal of defeating Indonesia.
The 2026 World Cup qualifiers are a stage where coach Troussier is not allowed to fail, this is clearly stated in the contract. The pressure of achievement forces the 68-year-old coach to field what he thinks is the best and most suitable to win.
When the veterans return, will Coach Troussier prioritize the main players, or will he still "bet" on the young players? What ratio will he mix the Vietnamese team to both win and ensure the long-term player development plan?
Many questions are waiting for "White Witch" to answer next March.
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