Positive signals from an unsatisfactory journey
In terms of results, the Vietnamese team failed at the 2023 Asian Cup. The team lost all 3 matches, did not gain any points, and did not keep a clean sheet in any match. The most disappointing was the 0-1 defeat to Indonesia in the second match of the group stage, which caused coach Troussier to face a wave of strong criticism.
The Vietnamese team lost all three matches at the Asian Cup (Photo: AFC).
However, to be fair, coach Philippe Troussier's team still achieved commendable results. CNN Indonesia, a newspaper from a country whose football is a traditional rival of Vietnamese football in Southeast Asia, also had to exclaim: "The Vietnamese team failed in terms of statistics, but impressed with the way they played."
"The performance of the team under coach Troussier deserves high praise. They scored 2 goals against Japan and scored 2 more goals against Iraq," CNN Indonesia provided evidence.
In the eyes of domestic football experts, former coach of the Vietnam national team, Mr. Phan Thanh Hung, said: "In terms of playing style, the Vietnam national team under coach Troussier brings new features. These are features we have not seen in the last years of the Park Hang Seo era."
Coach Phan Thanh Hung highly appreciates the playing style built by Coach Troussier in the Vietnam team (Photo: Hai Long).
"The current Vietnam team controls the ball well, coordinates well, transitions quickly, and has good high-level pressure. In matches, the team always creates many scoring opportunities, even in the 0-1 loss to Indonesia.
In that match, the Vietnamese team actually only lost in the situation (the penalty after Thanh Binh pulled the opponent's shirt) but not in the game. We created many clear opportunities in the beginning of the second half, it's just a pity that the strikers did not take advantage of them successfully," coach Phan Thanh Hung affirmed.
Of course, in football, results are still the first factor to consider when mentioning a team after each major tournament. Therefore, it is not surprising that Coach Troussier in particular and the Vietnamese team in general were criticized despite their good coordination in the recent Asian Cup campaign.
The Vietnam team needs to change, but how and to what extent? (Photo: AFC).
So, the need for change is now. The question is how to change and to what extent?
Personnel adjustments after Asian Cup
The detail that domestic football experts and fans often mention before and after the 2023 Asian Cup is that many key players under coach Park Hang Seo are no longer valued since coach Troussier led the Vietnamese team.
In the Vietnamese team participating in the 2023 Asian Cup, only central defenders Thanh Binh, Viet Anh, Duy Manh, Ho Tan Tai, midfielders Tuan Anh, Hung Dung, Quang Hai, and striker Tuan Hai are the ones who were regularly called up to the team during the time of coach Park Hang Seo.
Viet Anh and Thanh Binh were rarely in the starting lineup at that time. On the contrary, Duy Manh, Ho Tan Tai, and Do Hung Dung rarely play officially at the present stage.
Only a few players remain who were once the pillars of the team under coach Park Hang Seo (Photo: AFC).
This is probably the point where coach Troussier is a bit rigid. He changed the framework of the Vietnamese team too quickly and too radically, causing the team to lose stability, experience and maturity in competing in big matches.
Regarding this issue, Coach Tran Cong Minh shared: "Experience is very important in top tournaments like the Asian Cup. Experienced players know how to control their emotions, and will avoid uncontrolled actions like young players can get into (Khuat Van Khang's red card situation, Vo Minh Trong's foul leading to a penalty)".
"Lacking experienced players, the Vietnamese team also lacks someone who can take on a leadership role, and someone capable of motivating teammates around them in difficult times," coach Tran Cong Minh added.
The Vietnam team needs more experienced players (Photo: AFC).
But in return, according to Mr. Tran Cong Minh, the current trust in young players helps Vietnamese football discover a series of young talents after the 2023 Asian Cup. This list includes defender Vo Minh Trong, midfielder Nguyen Thai Son, midfielder Khuat Van Khang, and striker Nguyen Dinh Bac.
Before a few matches of the Vietnamese team in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia in November 2023 and before the 2023 Asian Cup, perhaps not many people knew about the above players at the national team level.
Now, they have proven their ability. Without the revolutionary change of Coach Troussier, perhaps the above young talents would not have had the opportunity to approach the big playgrounds of the Asian Cup or World Cup qualifiers, and would not have had the opportunity to develop at such a fast pace.
In return, the Vietnamese team has the maturity of many young faces (Photo: AFC).
Or in the case of central defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh, after the 2023 Asian Cup, this player seems to have reached another level, another position in the domestic football world: the position of one of the best central defenders in the country, the most comprehensive in the country in both defense and attack support ability. Those are all great contributions that Coach Troussier has brought to the team.
Therefore, when the Vietnamese team changes for the future, the most important thing to change is probably to add personnel, in the direction of creating harmony between youth and experience, adding more veteran players in the appropriate number for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. This addition will help the team become stronger, while not breaking the general structure built by Coach Troussier.
Former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam: "Actually, it is understandable that Coach Troussier prioritizes rejuvenating the squad, because many veteran players who were once famous in Vietnamese football have lost their form.
Others, I feel, have lost their desire to contribute, after they have had their fill of past titles.
If I were to look for a truly unfortunate case that was not shown at the Asian Cup, in my opinion it would be the case of right-back Ho Tan Tai. He has good technique, good thinking, and is a well-rounded attacker and defender."
Coach Tran Cong Minh: "We need to determine what is the most important goal of the Vietnamese team in the recent Asian Cup? Is the goal to pursue achievements for the above tournament or the goal to build a force for the future, towards the World Cup qualifiers? Or is the current goal of the team just to build a playing style, to find new features?
If we are aiming for a long-term goal, I think we should not be hasty, any success takes time.
Failure at the Asian Cup is a lesson for the players, an experience for themselves. Failures like this will help the team become more mature."
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