What awaits Mr. Troussier after SEA Games 32?

The bronze medal after 6 matches at the 32nd SEA Games has concluded the first step of coach Philippe Troussier with Vietnamese football. It was a difficult first step, when the French strategist's U.22 Vietnam was doubted, made mistakes, and then rose up to win a consolation medal. "When hanging this medal on the wall, the players will remember the memories they had with U.22 Vietnam in this tournament," Mr. Troussier shared.

The strengths and weaknesses that U.22 Vietnam showed in this tournament, in general, were not beyond the expectations that Mr. Troussier had mentioned a few months ago. That is the immaturity of the players, most of whom have not left their mark in the V-League and the first division, and do not have the support of seniors from the national team like in the previous 2 SEA Games. The number 1 striker of U.22 Vietnam, striker Van Tung, has only played 108 minutes in the V-League. Meanwhile, in the U.22 Indonesia team that defeated U.22 Vietnam in the semi-finals, there are many players who have played at least 30 to 35 matches in the domestic tournament.

For U.22 Vietnam, the journey ahead will be very open.

U.22 Vietnam returns at the right time

The difference in experience, combined with the need to absorb a completely new playing philosophy, put U.22 Vietnam in a difficult position. The bronze medal, although not meeting expectations as coach Troussier himself admitted, U.22 Vietnam played to the best of their ability to achieve it.

What is important to Coach Troussier is that through 6 matches at the SEA Games, the French coach has seen the potential of his students, along with their ability to absorb and learn the ball control style of play to make appropriate adjustments. In June, the 68-year-old strategist is expected to have his first long-term training session with the Vietnam national team, then direct the Vietnam U.23 team to play the international friendly tournament Panda Cup in China. Coach Troussier affirmed that his 3 priorities this year include the Vietnam U.23 team playing the Asian U.23 qualifiers, then the national team playing the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The June training session is a fulcrum to achieve both of these goals.

With the Vietnamese team, Mr. Troussier's advantage is that the quality and experience of the players are higher than the U.22 Vietnam team. It will be easier for the French coach to convey his intentions and tactics to the players. However, there are also difficulties, because with a team that is used to the defensive counter-attacking style of play under the previous coach Park Hang-seo, adjusting the ball has never been simple. During the 4 days the national team practiced under Mr. Troussier, some players who were used to long passes were reminded by the coaching staff. "There were players who were surprised by the new philosophy and admitted that the 4-day training period with the team was as long as 2 weeks," commented commentator Vu Quang Huy.

Coach Troussier saw the potential of young Vietnamese players.

In addition to popularizing the new playing style, Mr. Troussier also has to harmonize the seniors with the younger generation. In the previous training session, the French coach affirmed that he would only call up about 60% of the current players to the national team, while the rest would be given opportunities to the U.22, U.20 and some new players in the V-League. How to build and inherit the national team to open a new cycle of success is a challenge for the French coach, much more difficult than the obstacle at the SEA Games.

As for coaching the U.23 Vietnam team to compete in the U.23 Asian qualifiers, Coach Troussier will need to continue to be patient with his players and adjust their playing style, because the quality of opponents here will be higher than in the Southeast Asian arena. However, the French coach's players have shown their efforts to rise from defeat at the SEA Games. That is a valuable asset for Coach Troussier to be more steadfast in his philosophy and personnel selection.

U.22 Vietnam received a big bonus from VFF, why isn't coach Troussier on the bonus list?

Overall, the start at SEA Games 32 has helped coach Troussier draw an overview of the Vietnamese football scene. He will have about 3 months ahead to prepare for the year-end tournaments. Although there are still difficulties, the glimmers of light at SEA Games show that the road ahead for the French coach still has things to hope for, not so much as a dark and difficult one.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/dieu-gi-cho-doi-ong-troussier-sau-sea-games-32-185230517153858443.htm