In the first friendly matches under coach Philippe Troussier, the Vietnamese team's opponents were stronger than the previous match. The match against South Korea was the most difficult challenge. Son Heung-min and his teammates were on a completely different level from the previous opponents of the Vietnamese team.
South Korea is ranked 26th in the FIFA rankings. In Asia, only two teams are ranked above South Korea: Japan (19th) and Iran (21st). Tunisia - ranked 29th in the world - was recently defeated 0-4 by South Korea in a match in which Son Heung-min did not play a single minute.
The Vietnamese team is not in the best condition to face Korea. (Photo: VFF)
The difference in skill level between the two teams is huge. Facing such a strong opponent, the Vietnamese team is not in the best condition. Both subjective and objective disadvantages make this challenge even more difficult for the Vietnamese team. If Coach Troussier and his team lose this match, it will not be surprising.
First of all, the Vietnamese team is not in good form during this training session. Coach Troussier is still struggling to build his squad and playing style, while the French coach's players have not been able to adapt to the new tactical style.
The poor performance in the last two matches shows that the Vietnamese team is not ready to face the top teams in the continent. They have not met the requirements in terms of playing style, let alone results.
In fact, it is difficult to expect the Vietnamese team to play smoothly at this time, when the team is still in a state of chaos with experiments. The force that Coach Troussier called up in the October training session was clearly not the best and the players called up were not in the best condition either. The October international matches took place right at the break between the two V-League seasons.
It is not surprising that the Vietnamese team lost heavily to South Korea. (Photo: VFF)
The French coach called up many young players and even those who were rarely used before. Except for Nguyen Dinh Trieu and Nguyen Thai Son, no new faces under coach Troussier have made a prominent mark.
The Vietnamese team is not highly rated, and has lost two players who are considered to have more experience and skills than most of their teammates. Nguyen Tien Linh was banned from playing due to a red card in the friendly match with China, while Nguyen Quang Hai was also unable to play due to an injury that only allowed him to play 16 minutes against Uzbekistan.
In such a disadvantageous situation, what can the Vietnamese team and their fans expect from the friendly match on October 17? Even at its peak, the Vietnamese team can hardly think of winning against Korea, even a draw is very difficult.
For coach Troussier, this match was clearly a defensive exercise.
"Against the Korean opponent, we need to improve and further strengthen our defensive organization in open situations. I think the team can only control 30-35% of the ball. The remaining time without the ball must have good defensive discipline and organization," said the French coach.
Against Uzbekistan and China, the Vietnamese team did not do well in defense. Coach Troussier's players conceded two goals from poor defensive organization and the other two were the result of poor passes at home.
With an unformed playing style, not the best squad, and facing a world-class team, it is very likely that the Vietnamese team will be defeated with a heavy score. This scenario is even more likely if the Korean team uses its strongest lineup and plays at full strength as predicted by the Korean media.
Phuong Mai
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