Losing 0-6 to South Korea is better than winning against Palestine

"When we played against Palestine, we won 2-0 but I still saw worries. Against Korea, we lost 0-6 but I saw more positive points," coach Philippe Troussier told the players in a team meeting after the loss to Korea.

The Vietnamese team played 3 friendly matches against stronger opponents in the October international tournament. Coach Troussier and his team lost 3 matches, conceding 10 goals and scoring no goals. However, the match against South Korea - the biggest defeat - had the highest technical efficiency.

Vietnam team 0-6 Korea

"We lost 0-6 against such a strong opponent, but I saw in you a spirit of not giving up until the last minute of the match. I also want to add that, in the last 30 minutes of the match, we only played with 10 men on the field, I still saw the resilience in your defensive discipline," said Mr. Troussier.

The Korean team played seriously, using their strongest lineup with all the top stars. The Vietnamese team was clearly inferior to their opponents in every aspect. However, Coach Troussier was pleased that his players were also serious about this match to try to carry out their tactical intentions.

Coach Troussier talks to his players after losing to Korea.

"The number of accurate passes has increased, the decisions to deploy the ball are also quicker, the movement of the team without the ball has also improved. I also see your efforts in situations of pressure and especially you have created finishing situations towards the opponent's goal," commented coach Troussier.

Coach Troussier concluded: "That's what I want to see from you, not the victories over Hong Kong (China), Syria, Palestine. I hope that after the match with a big opponent like Korea, you will see for yourself the difference in technique, tactics, and physical strength. I myself will also have my own lessons, so that from there we can improve together, towards the goal of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers next November."

Xuan Phuong

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