Speaking to the Japanese press, striker Nguyen Cong Phuong gave a frank assessment of the Vietnamese team's performance at the 2023 Asian Cup. This is a tournament in which coach Philippe Troussier's team lost all three matches against Japan, Indonesia and Iraq.
In particular, although the Vietnamese team played well against Japan, they then underperformed against Indonesia, losing 0-1 in the end. According to Cong Phuong, that is a problem that the Vietnamese team must overcome.
"The Vietnamese team is still very young. When facing higher-ranked opponents like Japan, we play hard and show our strengths, but when facing lower-ranked opponents, we seem to lose control and can no longer show what we have.
Cong Phuong scored for Vietnam in a 2-0 win over Palestine in September 2023
"Although we were able to play a promoted match against Japan, we lost the match against Indonesia and the media is having a harsh view of the Vietnamese team," Cong Phuong told Targma .
The Vietnamese team won 4 and lost 8 in the first 12 matches under coach Troussier, including 8 defeats in the last 9 matches. As for Cong Phuong, he scored 1 goal in Vietnam's 2-0 victory over Palestine. However, since that match (September 2023) until now, Cong Phuong has not been called up by Mr. Troussier.
"The reason I wasn't called up to the Vietnam national team is because I rarely played for Yokohama FC. I can return to the national team by playing more often for the club. If I prove myself, I can join again," Cong Phuong assessed.
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The striker born in 1995 only played for 4 minutes at Yokohama FC last season, in the home team's match at the Japanese Emperor's Cup. Cong Phuong will not be able to play in the 2023 J-League, in the season when Yokohama FC finished bottom of the table and received a ticket to relegation.
Cong Phuong has extended his contract with Yokohama FC for another year. However, he needs to make more efforts to be appreciated by coach Shuhei Yomoda.
"The best thing I can do is score goals and create chances for my teammates. I think I show my strengths if I play closer to the penalty area. If possible, I want to return to my previous position and am working hard in every training session with Yokohama FC," Cong Phuong said.
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