On November 20, head coach Philippe Troussier answered the media at a press conference before the match against the Iraqi team in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.
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| Coach Philippe Troussier and young midfielder Nguyen Thai Son held a press conference before the match between Vietnam and Iraq. (Source: VFF) |
Coach Philippe Troussier is confident about the preparations of the Vietnamese team and hopes that the fans will support and inspire the whole team when playing at home. He affirmed that the team will make every effort to achieve good results against the strong opponent from West Asia.
Head coach Philippe Troussier said: Iraq can be considered to be in the top 5-6 in Asia. Therefore, Iraq is considered higher than the Vietnamese team. They have many players with experience playing in Europe and have also won the Asian championship.
Having won points against the Philippines team helped the Vietnamese players feel more confident and the whole team was ready, trying their best to achieve good results.
Since taking charge of the Vietnamese team, coach Philippe Troussier has tried to build a style of play based on the players' ability to control the ball. This is also a style of play that has many similarities with the Iraqi team.
He shared that controlling the ball forces the opponent to play like us, also prevents the opponent from attacking and is a way of defending. The world's strongest teams all control the ball, it is not easy for the opponent to take the ball.
The players need to have good ability and ball control, which will give us the confidence to compete with the top teams in the region. Coach Philippe Troussier said: "Our goal is to finish second in the group with the best results to be present in the third qualifying round."
In the opening match in the Philippines, coach Philippe Troussier chose a surprising lineup. He even used 6 U23 players: Vo Minh Trong, Nguyen Thai Son, Phan Tuan Tai, Nguyen Van Tung, Nguyen Dinh Bac and Ho Van Cuong.
However, the Vietnamese team was still confident in holding the ball, coordinating attacks and opening the score thanks to Nguyen Van Toan, before sealing the 2-0 victory with a shot from young talent Nguyen Dinh Bac in the extra minutes of the second half.
Attending the press conference, young midfielder Nguyen Thai Son shared: Iraq is a strong opponent. They just beat Indonesia with a score of 5-1. The whole team has carefully studied the Iraqi team and prepared well for the match. The advantage of the Vietnamese team is that they play at home and will receive the support of the fans. The goal of the whole team is to try to play their best.
Speaking to the press at a press conference, Iraq coach Jesus Casas said: The match against Vietnam promises to be interesting because both teams won in the first round. Vietnam has a quality squad and a playing style quite similar to Iraq - focusing on ball control.
In the opening match, Iraq had a bigger win than Vietnam and had more time to rest, but that does not guarantee victory. Of course, Iraq will play for the goal of winning all 3 points. But Vietnam has a huge advantage in the support of the audience from the stands, so Iraq will not have an easy 90 minutes on November 21.
The match between Vietnam and Iraq will take place at 7pm on November 21 at My Dinh National Stadium (Hanoi). The Vietnamese players will take to the field in their traditional red uniforms.
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