"I don't think there has ever been a coach with a fierce and strong personality like Troussier," striker Nguyen Cong Phuong said in an exclusive interview with Sponichi newspaper. "That's his own class."
The Japanese team will meet the Vietnamese team on January 14 in the first round of the 2023 Asian Cup group stage. The Vietnamese team will be coached by Philippe Troussier (68 years old), who is very famous in Japan as he led the "Blue Samurai Warriors" to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Coach Troussier directed the Vietnamese team in a friendly match with China in October 2023 (Photo: Getty).
To help Japanese fans better understand the current Vietnamese team, Sponichi newspaper wrote an article titled: "The Vietnamese team has become a strong team under coach Troussier: "Vietnam's Messi" talks about the current state of the national team" with the main content being an interview with striker Cong Phuong, to see the changes of the "Golden Dragon Warriors" under the former head coach of the Japanese team.
"Coach Troussier's passion has not changed, I think his desire is probably as everyone (in Japan) imagines. Sometimes we meet for nearly two hours, even when we are on the field, we discuss very carefully," Cong Phuong shared.
Cong Phuong is not on the list of Vietnam's team for the 2023 Asian Cup. However, the former striker of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club does not think that this is why he has a conflict with the French strategist.
"I don't know what people around me think. I know success is his great passion, so I don't have a bad impression of Coach Troussier," Cong Phuong said.
Coach Troussier guides the Vietnamese team in training in Qatar before the 2023 Asian Cup (Photo: VFF).
Sponichi newspaper believes that the Vietnamese team is currently stronger than before. "Cong Phuong does not have any negative impressions of Troussier. The Vietnamese people are hard-working and warm-hearted by nature, and the guidance of the European strategist seems to stimulate development and achieve efficiency," Sponichi newspaper commented.
"Coach Troussier was appointed in February 2023, and so far he has achieved 4 wins and 4 losses after 8 matches. In the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, the Vietnamese team was in the same group with Iraq, Indonesia and the Philippines. They played very well and are currently in 2nd place with 1 win and 1 loss."
Comparing the tactics between coach Troussier and his predecessor, coach Park Hang Seo, at the Vietnam national team, Sponichi newspaper commented:
"Coach Park Hang Seo focuses on defense with many realistic defensive drills. However, after taking over as coach, Mr. Troussier applied the 3-4-3 formation and experimented with ball control. He said he was directing the team towards a positive playing style. Of course, the Vietnam team is still in the process of development."
Cong Phuong agrees with this comment, he shared: "We can create good matches against teams of the same level, but when we put many people up front, there will be problems at the back."
Cong Phuong practices in Yokohama FC shirt (Photo: Yokohama).
The last time the Vietnamese team faced Japan was in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Japan won 1-0 at My Dinh Stadium and drew 1-1 at home.
Cong Phuong said that although the Vietnamese team has achieved positive results against Japan in recent matches, the two teams' levels are still quite far apart. He admitted: "We only created a few opportunities. There is still a big difference in strength."
Cong Phuong has just renewed his contract with Yokohama FC and will play in J-League 2 in the 2024 season. In the 2023 season, Cong Phuong has not shown much when he rarely played and his team was relegated, however, the former player of Hoang Anh Gia Lai still wants to assert himself, he said: "I want to learn many things from Japan to gain experience".
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