Struggling to transfer
In terms of age, the list of 11 players of the Vietnamese team starting against Indonesia in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup on the evening of January 19 has achieved a relatively good balance.
The players average 25.1 years old, which is the peak age in football. In Coach Troussier’s squad, no one is too young, no one is too old. Most are between 22 and 28, which means they are ready to develop.
However, the ideal age is only meaningful when the Vietnamese team meets two factors: physical foundation and peak performance. In the match against Indonesia, everyone turned their backs on coach Troussier.
Vietnam team stops playing early at Asian Cup
Regarding physical fitness, Coach Troussier affirmed: "My playing style requires players to maintain high intensity throughout the match. Currently, my players can only play like that for about 60 or 70 minutes. They cannot maintain this intensity until the end of the match."
Mr. Troussier has mentioned this issue many times. In the match against Iraq, the French coach made five substitutions before the 80th minute. It is not uncommon for players to be exhausted in the last 15 or 20 minutes.
Coach Troussier does not change his philosophy, but expects his players to raise their physical ceiling to meet the demands. That is also the reason why he prefers young players, those who are still motivated and have room to train harder and run harder.
However, when a "running machine" like Thai Son was pulled off the field due to stiffness against Indonesia, it showed that physical strength is an obstacle for the team. Young players may be strong and fast, but they lack the skills to regulate their breathing, running rhythm, or do not know how to choose a wiser position, handle the game more accurately to save energy. As for the veteran squad who are very familiar with the slow pace of the V-League, it is hard to imagine increasing their endurance.
The second worrying aspect is form. Most of the team's key players have lost their strength. The absence of veterans is not a problem for Coach Troussier. Remember, before missing the Asian Cup due to injury, Tien Linh only scored 5 goals in the last 26 matches in the V-League and "failed to score" for the team when Coach Troussier took over. The influence of Que Ngoc Hai and Hoang Duc has also decreased. The remaining stars such as Quang Hai and Tuan Anh have not met expectations.
Coach Troussier has called up 80 players, but has not found the ideal squad yet.
When the performance chart of the pillars started to decline since the end of Coach Park Hang-seo's time, at an age when they should have reached their peak, while the younger generation has not "matured" fast enough (Tuan Tai and Minh Trong are no longer too young), the Vietnamese team is in the broken stage of the transition cycle.
When will the wine 'mellow'?
Coach Troussier has two options. Either wait for the quality of Vietnamese football to improve on its own, so that the players can meet the requirements of a controlled style of play. Or refine the style of play, adding small details so that the tactics are more in line with the abilities of his players.
The first option is more sustainable. After all, to become an Asian power, the Vietnamese team needs to hold the ball firmly, control space more effectively, and improve both physical strength and basic skills.
Coach Park Hang-seo has built a reasonable strategy to help Vietnamese players cover up their weaknesses, but that is only a temporary solution. The World Cup dream requires football to have a solid human foundation. And although it is very difficult, Mr. Troussier is laying the first bricks.
However, pay attention to the details, although Mr. Troussier's contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has 2.5 years left, it will most likely be decided in the next 5 months.
Coach Troussier is allowed to fail at the Asian Cup. However, in the 2024 U.23 Asian Cup finals and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, tournaments where Mr. Troussier needs to achieve certain results, any failure will shake the "White Witch"'s stronghold.
Vietnam team will play Indonesia again in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup
To create confidence in the long-term future, Coach Troussier needs to meet some short-term requirements. That is the basis for making the second choice: adjusting the playing style to better suit the level of the players, perfecting the tactics to be flexible and adaptable to each opponent.
Solve the immediate goals first, then think long term.
Coach Troussier’s glory was 22 years ago. In the era of social media explosion, every failure, no matter how small, can be exaggerated or exaggerated, leading to a hundredfold increase in pressure. The French strategist has probably accepted that the demand for victory is part of the game. In France, Japan, Qatar in the past or Vietnam now.
Mr. Troussier and his students share responsibility for the failure at the Asian Cup. Now, adapting is the only way forward.
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