Coach Troussier needs to awaken the forgotten weapon

The 2023 Asian Cup is very close to the Vietnamese team, with the opening match only 5 days away from coach Philippe Troussier and his team. Besides urgently training their physical strength, refining their techniques and planning tactics for each match, the French strategist also needs to perfect his playing style.

The Vietnamese team is gradually forming a philosophy of confident possession, passing and weaving to launch attacks. However, it is easy to see that despite controlling the ball better, Mr. Troussier's team is lacking scoring options.

The difficulties were compounded by the absence of number 1 striker Nguyen Tien Linh. The team's remaining 6 strikers such as Tuan Hai, Van Toan, Dinh Bac, Van Truong, Van Tung and Vi Hao have only scored a total of... 4 goals for the national team under Mr. Troussier.

Coach Troussier expressed his emotions and intimacy during the photo and video shoot of the Vietnam National Team with the Organizing Committee of the 2023 Asian Cup - video: VFF

Coach Troussier and his students have to solve many problems.

Talking about the idea he wants to build for the Vietnamese team, Coach Troussier affirmed: "I want the players to be proactive in their approach when entering the field, not passive in any situation. Being passive here means waiting for the opponent to make a mistake, or relying on individual genius, or waiting for a free kick or similar situations to score a goal."

This is a point of view that Coach Troussier has emphasized many times when coaching the national team and U.23. He wants his students to score from "open" situations, that is, arranging live ball attacks with clear tactical intentions.

However, in football, especially in big tournaments, it is very difficult to deploy systematic live ball attacks against strong teams like Japan and Iraq. In the match against Iraq, Coach Troussier's students did not even have a shot, as the decisive passes were easily intercepted by the opponent.

Set pieces, which Mr Troussier describes as "passive", are then the most suitable route to finding goals.

Vietnam have scored six goals in eight games under Troussier, but only one has come from a set piece, a penalty scored by Que Ngoc Hai in his debut under the French coach in June.

Vietnam team needs more options for set pieces

In the past 8 matches, despite taking many corner kicks, indirect and direct free kicks, Tuan Hai and his teammates did not score any goals. At the 32nd SEA Games, when coach Troussier took charge of U.22 Vietnam, the number of goals from set pieces by the whole team was also not high.

It seems that the Vietnamese team is "forgetting" a very effective weapon to score goals. Under the previous coach Park Hang-seo, set pieces were a strong point, when he had good free kick takers (Hung Dung, Quang Hai), and a team of players who are good at aerial combat.

The Vietnamese team held Japan to a 1-1 draw thanks to a set piece, the last time the two teams met. That was when Cong Phuong took a corner kick just in time for Thanh Binh to jump up and head the ball into the opponent's net.

If they can master set-piece situations, the Vietnamese team will have more options to solve difficult matches. In the context that the whole team has not played smoothly and cohesively enough to continuously create opportunities from "open" situations as coach Troussier expected, the Vietnamese team needs another solution.

Another aspect is defending from set pieces, which Coach Troussier also needs to train his players. The Vietnamese team has conceded goals from corner kicks or crosses in all four recent defeats against China, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Iraq.

Coach Troussier has a "secret weapon" for his students?

The defense system with Thanh Binh, Viet Anh, Tuan Tai is lacking a real leader, especially when Que Ngoc Hai is absent due to injury. Poor defense against high balls and free kicks brings great risk, because Iraq, Japan and Indonesia are all very strong in these types of situations.

Coach Troussier understands very well the role of set pieces, both in attack and defense. Perhaps, the French strategist's statements are simply a "smokescreen" that coaches often use before the tournament.

The Vietnamese team is quietly forging new moves. Only when entering the tournament will the new version of Coach Troussier and his team be revealed.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-hlv-troussier-can-danh-thuc-vu-khi-bi-lang-quen-185240109095310678.htm