On the afternoon of June 19, the Vietnamese team had their last training session at Thien Truong Stadium, preparing for the friendly match with Syria at 7:30 p.m. on June 20. This was also the last match of coach Philippe Troussier and his team during the FIFA Days.

Coach Philippe Troussier watches his players practice.

Due to injury, midfielder Hoang Duc was not registered to play in the match against Syria. In the 1-0 victory of the Vietnamese team against Hong Kong (China), Hoang Duc was arranged by coach Philippe Troussier to play from the start. He played with midfielder Tuan Anh in the midfield area.

The 2021 Vietnamese Golden Ball had to leave the field immediately after a two-footed tackle by the opposing team's player in the second minute of injury time of the first half. Hoang Duc could not even walk normally and had to be helped into the locker room by assistants.

Midfielder Hoang Duc practices separately with the doctor.

According to the test results later, the midfielder born in 1998 only suffered soft tissue injuries but still had to rest for a few days. In addition, midfielder Lam Ti Phong also suffered an injury and had to practice separately with the doctor. Coach Philippe Troussier had to add two central midfielders from the U23 team, Thai Son and Duc Phu, to the Vietnam team.

The players warm up before practice.

Coach Philippe Troussier affirmed that intensity and tactical play are what players need to perform in international matches. The French strategist assessed that with the current squad, every player is trying to express themselves.

The Vietnamese team learned many lessons after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Hong Kong (China). However, coach Philippe Troussier admitted that he and his players have a lot to work on, including improving their finishing and defensive solidity.

Van Toan's name is on the registration list to prepare for the match against Syria.
Nguyen Cong Phuong (number 10) was added to the registration list for the match against the Syrian team.

To overcome these limitations, coach Philippe Troussier had his players practice counter-attacks and transitions. The 68-year-old coach believes that the problem does not come from the defenders' ability because they defend well, but to play well on the field in defense, the players need to adjust to adapt to the collective tactical problem.

Despite careful preparation, coach Philippe Troussier still has many worries when the Vietnamese team did not play well in the match against Hong Kong (China) and this match against a stronger opponent, Syria.

News and photos: VIET AN