Waiting for Troussier's trademark counter-attacking style

What strategy to fight against 'high mountains'?

There is a common misconception when talking about the Vietnamese team of coach Philippe Troussier, that the French coach prefers a fair attacking style of play, instead of defensive counter-attacking like the time of coach Park Hang-seo.

In fact, Mr. Troussier denied this right at the team's introduction ceremony. The coach nicknamed "White Witch" revealed that he is a person with flexible tactics: "When facing Brazil or Laos, we need our own tactics and tactics."

That means Mr. Troussier's Vietnam team can still play defensive counter-attacks when facing strong teams, it is not necessary to play offensively.

Vietnam team off to a good start in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup

However, the fundamental factor that the French coach requires is that even though playing defensive counter-attacks, the Vietnamese team must still control the tempo of the game, not "blindly destroying", but must calmly pass the ball, deploying a sequential style of play when regaining control. At the same time, it is necessary to actively apply pressure to win the ball to counter-attack, instead of defending in a tight group and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake.

Still defending and counter-attacking but in a more proactive state, is what the French strategist demands of his students. That is also a reasonable choice, because against a strong team like Iraq, playing an open game is too risky.

Against Indonesia, the Iraqi team won 5-1, with 75% possession. Every time Indonesia pushed up their formation, Iraq punished the flanks with lightning-fast transitions.

The West Asian representative is not a team as smooth and technical as Japan or Korea, which can easily break down large defensive blocks. Under coach Jesus Casas, Iraq plays quite simply but very effectively, always knowing how to take advantage of the opportunity when the opponent leaves the defensive position to launch a "counterattack".

Against a sharp and fast opponent like Iraq, the Vietnamese team will play defensively, keeping a tight formation and moving in sync. The gaps between the lines and positions will be "condensed" to form a siege that will suffocate the opponent's attacks.

Attackers who run hard like Van Toan and Tuan Hai are very useful to Mr. Troussier.

Coach Troussier introduced a tight and scientific defensive style of play when he and the Japanese team overcame a series of strong opponents to finish second at the 2001 Confederation Cup. The President of the Japan Football Association, Mr. Tashima Kozo, admired the style of play that the "White Witch" built when carefully analyzing the project to develop the Japanese team.

Here, Mr. Tashima affirmed that Coach Troussier has brought a very solid and flexible playing structure, helping Japan become a "diamond" that is difficult to defeat.

That is also the tightness that Mr. Troussier expects from the Vietnamese team. Of course, the level of Vietnamese players is not as good as that of Japan. Adhering to tactics for 90 minutes, constantly moving and handling in harmony is also a huge challenge for a team that is in the transition period between generations.

Stay focused

Even in the match against the Philippines, the Vietnamese team did not play really well, still making many mistakes in marking and covering. The French strategist is trying to improve with his students, after analyzing and studying video footage of Iraq's playing style in the past few days.

In the match against Iraq, the Vietnamese team can welcome the return of Hoang Duc and Hung Dung in the midfield, along with Que Ngoc Hai in the center of defense. Coach Troussier needs more control and regulation in the midfield to increase the time of ball possession, helping the transition from defense to attack smoother.

The key to the match on the evening of November 21st lies in the ability to defend and withstand pressure. In the three matches against China, Uzbekistan and South Korea in October, the common point of the Vietnamese team was that they all held up quite well in the first 25 to 30 minutes, before collapsing due to not being able to maintain concentration.

Concentration needs to be based on physical strength and mental endurance. Physical strength is not a problem, as Mr. Troussier has a young squad. As for the psychological aspect, the players are used to pressure matches. The victory over the Philippines in the previous match also helped the players "relax".

In a match where even 1 point is acceptable, the players need to put aside their worries and strictly follow the tactics. With Troussier's trademark defensive counter-attacking style, the Vietnamese team promises to have a match worth watching.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/cho-loi-choi-phan-cong-mang-nhan-hieu-troussier-185231120091645865.htm