The Vietnamese team had a difficult away match against the Philippines team in the first match of the second qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup. The confrontation at Rizal Memorial Stadium has an important meaning for the long journey ahead for coach Troussier and the Vietnamese team.
Pressure to win
The Vietnamese team must beat the Philippines. That is not a slogan to put pressure or motivate the players, but the real situation that Coach Troussier and his students are facing at this time.
It must be recognized that the Vietnamese team started the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a somewhat heavy mood. Too much expectation from coach Troussier made the fans impatient, victories needed to appear continuously even if it was just a friendly match and testing the lineup.
Coach Troussier is under great pressure.
Even when facing a very strong opponent like the Korean team, a 0-6 defeat is completely normal in terms of expertise but also makes Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates "tired" if they read comments on social networks. Three wins and three losses after 6 friendly matches are average results in terms of parameters.
The Vietnamese team accepts the fact that they are facing a wave of criticism, but Mr. Troussier has received a lot of constructive information and positive signals. The Vietnamese team's style of play, although not yet operating at an ideal level, is starting to take shape. This is clearly shown in the effort to develop the ball against a strong opponent like Korea.
The list of players for official tournaments was reduced to 25 players and 3 goalkeepers after 6 months. The main squad of Mr. Troussier gradually revealed itself and the faces who did not play well - despite playing a lot - in previous matches such as Truong Tien Anh were also eliminated. The French coach dispelled the doubts of fans about favoring those called "favorites".
However, that is the story of the experiment. Entering the official tournament, the results are what are important. Fans have reason to demand to see winning football. No one wants to see defeat, especially against regional opponents like the Philippines.
Is it easy to beat the Philippines? The answer is no. It is not difficult to beat this team now. The Philippines team always knows how to make things difficult for any big team in the region, even the Vietnam team under Park Hang Seo.
Mr. Troussier's dilemma
Besides the emotional story of the majority, and also in terms of expertise, Coach Troussier also needs this victory more than ever. The 68-year-old coach is the one responsible for the achievements of the Vietnamese team. The target given by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to the whole team before the departure was clear: to pass the second qualifying round before thinking about bigger dreams.
To get a ticket to the next round, the Vietnamese team needs to accumulate points. The simplest way to do this is to beat opponents of similar or lower class from Southeast Asia. Therefore, defeating the Philippines will solve the short-term story.
The Vietnamese team needs to win against the Philippines.
If the results are good, the Vietnamese team will bring great encouragement to the fans, creating a catalyst to heat up My Dinh Stadium in the match to welcome the Iraqi team at home on November 21. Winning 4 points after the first 2 matches with excitement will be a very beautiful scenario.
Looking ahead, Mr. Troussier and the VFF leadership can stick to their plans. But they need enough wins to convince fans that Vietnamese football is on the right track. In addition, as Mr. Troussier builds a completely different philosophy from his predecessor, he himself must build confidence with his students that this style of play will bring success.
The loss to the Philippines is not a disaster, but it could put coach Troussier under greater and unnecessary pressure. The risks awaiting the Vietnamese team at the Rizal Memorial and the rewards if they win will be worth their efforts.
Mai Phuong
Source
Comment (0)