"Despite their unsuccessful efforts, the Vietnamese team once again lost to their opponents Iraq in the last minute, after taking the lead and equalizing 2-2 in the 90+1 minute through Quang Hai. Losing 2-3, but at least their pride was certainly restored. To be fair, the Vietnamese team's campaign at the 2023 Asian Cup is no longer a disaster," Gabriel Tan commented in an article on ESPN Asia about the Vietnamese team.
The Vietnam team is one of the teams at the 2023 Asian Cup with the youngest average age, only 24 years old.
"The boldness and resilience of the Vietnamese team in the match against Iraq was no less than the loss to the Japanese team (2-4). These were two matches in which coach Philippe Troussier's team had moments when they took the lead against the two strongest opponents in the top 10 of the continent.
The price they paid was the loss to regional rival Indonesia (0-1). This was a match that the Vietnamese team had every chance to win and the opponent had never beaten them in the previous 6 meetings. The loss pushed the Vietnamese team to the bottom of the table and no chance of advancing. Therefore, it is easy to understand the disappointment, because in the previous Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team reached the quarter-finals," Gabriel Tan shared.
"That time also coincided with the golden era of Vietnamese football under coach Park Hang-seo. There have been many assessments and comparisons between this period and under current coach Philippe Troussier. However, this is the time when the Vietnamese team is preparing for a new future more, although it is still uncertain due to many other issues. Coach Philippe Troussier is an experienced strategist. He must know clearly how far his plan is progressing," Gabriel Tan expressed.
Coach Philippe Troussier is an experienced strategist, but he is still under pressure due to the poor results of the Vietnamese team at the 2023 Asian Cup.
Defender Vo Minh Trong (3) is only 22 years old and has only played 8 times for the Vietnamese national team.
Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac (left) is only 19 years old and has stepped into the big Asian Cup arena.
"At the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team is among the teams with the youngest average age, only 24 years old. They have a new goalkeeper (Nguyen Filip). Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, only 19 years old, is one of the promising young players who has shown his excellence right at the 2023 Asian Cup despite still being considered quite inexperienced.
Or the names Nguyen Thai Son, Vo Minh Trong and Phan Tuan Tai, none of them are over 23 years old and have more than 10 caps for the national team. But they are ready to replace their seniors Vu Van Thanh and Do Duy Manh. Coach Philippe Troussier has given them the opportunity to play the most important roles in the Vietnamese team's play at the 2023 Asian Cup. Although they may be defeated, especially against opponents like Japan or Iraq, the performances of these young Vietnamese players show signs of a very good future," Gabriel Tan commented.
"The journey of the Vietnamese team at the 2023 Asian Cup can be said to have turned a new page. However, in this new page, they really need to look back at the previous generation. Those who can still play an extremely important role in the journey forward. That is Nguyen Quang Hai, who entered the field in the second half and scored the equalizer 2-2 for the Vietnamese team in the 90+1 minute of the match against Iraq.
Quang Hai, 26 years old, still has plenty of time to restart his career and lead the Vietnamese team forward.
Quang Hai emerged in 2018, quickly becoming one of the top playmakers in Southeast Asia and a rising talent in the continent. However, he has stalled after testing himself in Europe.
Now at the age of 26, Quang Hai is finding himself again. He can still be a player who changes the game with his top abilities that have not faded. The goal scored at the 2023 Asian Cup shows that Quang Hai still plays a useful role in the Vietnam team. It is also a reminder to coach Philippe Troussier that the role of this star player is still effective. Quang Hai is still young, and he still has plenty of time to restart his career," Gabriel Tan concluded.
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