Everyone sees we're doing well, except the Vietnamese media.

" I've read many comments from international sources. Many people think we're doing well, except for the Vietnamese media. Hopefully, we'll play well against Iraq. Even if we lose, the Vietnamese team needs a good image so that everyone sees that we still have a future ahead ," coach Philippe Troussier said at a press conference on the afternoon of January 23.

The French coach emphasized the view that the Vietnamese national team had made progress even after losing two consecutive matches in the 2023 Asian Cup and being eliminated early.

"When the VFF signed me, the Vietnamese national team had just lost eight consecutive matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against the strongest teams in Asia. The VFF's goal was to develop a new strategy to compete against the top 10 teams in Asia. That's why I'm here," said Coach Troussier.

"It's not easy for the Vietnamese team to compete against the top 10 in Asia because many things need to change, such as needing players who can control the ball and aren't afraid to face strong opponents. We are in this process. The Asian Cup might be coming a little early, but I've already seen the good points of the players."

*Coach Troussier is unhappy with the media.*

The match between the Vietnamese and Iraqi national teams doesn't hold much significance in terms of results for either team. Iraq has already secured qualification, while Vietnam has been eliminated early with two consecutive losses. Therefore, the Iraqi team will likely make adjustments to their starting lineup.

The French coach and his players received a lot of criticism on social media and in the media after their defeat against Indonesia. It was a match where the Vietnamese team played poorly, making mistakes that led to a loss against their Southeast Asian rivals.

Coach Troussier said: " Dealing with media reactions is part of my job. I understand this. The Vietnamese media react emotionally, like fans. They don't look at what we've done over the past eight months ."

The former head coach of the Japanese national team believes that despite losing both matches against Japan and Indonesia, the players have improved and matured in their willingness to play football without fear. In the match against Indonesia, Coach Troussier witnessed the strong spirit of the players.

The Vietnamese team showed consistency in their playing style. He expressed confidence that his players would improve their skills to compete with strong teams like Japan. The Vietnamese team will continue to play like this against Iraq, and things will be different the next time they meet Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Iraq's head coach, Jesus Casas, commented: " The Vietnamese team has lost two matches. I was at the stadium watching the match between Vietnam and Japan. They almost got a good result. Despite the defeat, the Vietnamese team was very close to a good result. Tomorrow's match will be very difficult for the Iraqi team ."

The match between the Vietnam national team and the Iraq national team will take place at 6:30 PM on January 24th.

Mai Phuong

Source