Coach Troussier wants players to be confident like in the Thailand match

According to coach Philippe Troussier, confidence is extremely important for the young Vietnamese team when facing Indonesia in the semi-finals of the 32nd SEA Games.

Coach Troussier at the press conference on the morning of May 12, before the semi-final match with Indonesia at SEA Games 32. Photo: Lam Thoa — Coach Troussier at the press conference on the morning of May 12, before the semi-final match with Indonesia at SEA Games 32. Photo: *Lam Thoa*

*Indonesia - Vietnam: 4pm Saturday 13/5, on VnExpress.

"Reaching the semi-finals is Vietnam's first goal. And that goal has been achieved. But Vietnam won the gold medal in the previous two tournaments, so now and as before the tournament, we have the responsibility to protect that position. That is the ultimate goal," coach Troussier said at a press conference on the morning of May 12 at Prince Stadium. "No weak team can reach the semi-finals. All teams are eager to win. But this is a sports festival. There will be winners and losers. I cannot predict the result, but I am sure the match will be difficult. We must try our best. The winning team is the deserving team. Deserving in spirit, effort, and tactics. Those are the things we are preparing for tomorrow's match."

According to Troussier, Indonesia is a strong opponent with good tactics, so Vietnam must try their best. "A match like this is good for Southeast Asian football," he commented.

Vietnam came to the 32nd SEA Games with doubts, especially after a series of five consecutive losses in the Doha Cup and domestic matches. But after a somewhat lackluster opening match (a 2-0 win over Laos), the team gradually showed signs of improvement, defeating Singapore 3-1 and then Malaysia 2-1 to secure a ticket to the semi-finals with one match early.

In the final match against Thailand - the team considered the number one candidate for the gold medal this year, Coach Troussier and his team had a positive performance. Despite conceding a goal in the 3rd minute, the team still controlled the ball, created a slightly better game and then equalized 1-1 at the beginning of the second half. However, the draw meant that Vietnam only finished second in the group, entering the semi-finals against Indonesia - the group A winner and the only team to win all 100% in the group stage. Coach Troussier's team also suffered the disadvantage of having one less day off than their opponents.

The French coach believes that each match has its own characteristics, the deeper the pressure, the more important the player's confidence. "It does not come from my words," he said. "Vietnam's squad is still young, half of them are under 20 years old, they are talented and have potential but do not have much experience. Therefore, I think the confidence comes from my teaching them, in the matches, both with and without the ball. I have tried to convey confidence through tactical lessons over the past two months. Hopefully that confidence will be maintained after the match with Thailand."

The SEA Games football gold medal was a long-standing desire for Vietnam, before ending in 2019 under coach Park Hang-seo. At the 2022 SEA Games, the Korean coach helped Vietnam successfully defend the gold medal when defeating Thailand 1-0 in the final match at My Dinh Stadium.

After Coach Park's contract expired, the Vietnam Football Federation chose Coach Troussier, who had led teams from Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Japan, as his replacement.

According to experts, Troussier faces more difficulties than his predecessor Park when he first took office, because the current squad is not strong, most of the players have not yet secured a starting position in the V-League or the First Division. Furthermore, this tournament does not allow teams to strengthen their overage players - an important factor contributing to Vietnam's two gold medals at the two most recent SEA Games.

"I have no experience leading teams in Southeast Asia before. But I feel the nature of the matches between countries in the region," Troussier added. "This rivalry can be compared to when I worked in other regions, such as Japan and Korea, or in Europe, England, France and Germany. It is positive, and will promote the development of football. In the near future, the World Cup will increase the number of participants, giving teams more opportunities. Then there is the Asian Cup, the World Cup qualifiers... and all teams have the ambition to show their level. Besides, you also have to prove that you are number one in the region. However, it also increases the pressure on the coach. The pressure to win, to play beautifully, to win 3-0. I personally like pressure, because it gives me more motivation to do my job well."

Lam Thoa ( from Phnom Penh )

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