Vietnam team unexpectedly faces difficulties in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers

As previously announced, the Vietnamese team will begin their journey in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia by traveling to Rizal Memorial Stadium (Manila, Philippines) in the Philippines on November 16.

Vietnam team is not playing well recently.

Notably, Rizal Memorial Stadium is still using artificial turf instead of natural grass.

This is expected to cause many difficulties for the Vietnamese team in the upcoming match because Coach Troussier's students often play on natural grass fields in the V-League and the national team.

As for the Philippines, they see playing on an artificial surface as an advantage.

In addition, the country's Football Federation is also calling on fans to fill nearly 13,000 seats at Rizal Memorial Stadium for the match against the Vietnamese team.

Besides, the Philippines has also prepared quite carefully in terms of personnel to aim for the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

In terms of force, the Philippines still uses many experienced names combined with young players.

The most prominent player in the Philippines is goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who plays for Birmingham City in the English Championship.

As for the Vietnamese team, before entering the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, coach Troussier and his team had lost all three matches against China, Uzbekistan and South Korea.

Besides, some stars of "The Golden Star Warriors" have not yet regained their best form.

According to the schedule, in the first 3 matches, the red team will face the Philippines (November 16), Iraq (November 21) and Indonesia (March 21, 2024).

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-bat-ngo-gap-kho-o-tran-ra-quan-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-192231024174401835.htm