As Vietnam prepares for the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship, coach Diego Giustozzi shared his thoughts on the team building process and the long-term direction of Vietnamese futsal.
The Argentinian coach said that working in Asia for the first time presented many challenges in the initial stages, but things are gradually falling into place. "This is my first time working in Asia. It was quite difficult at first, but now I understand my players much better after working with them for a while."
"Over the last one or two years, we have improved mentally, changed our playing style, and are on the right track in our plan to qualify for the World Cup," coach Diego Giustozzi shared.
According to this strategist, the Vietnamese futsal team currently possesses a young, promising squad, but still needs more time to accumulate international experience. He emphasized: “Our team is young and needs more matches to mature. I am pleased with the players' progress. I myself am 100% focused on the goal of qualifying for the 2028 World Cup.”
Assessing the overall picture of Asian futsal, coach Diego Giustozzi believes that the level of competition is increasing, with 10-12 teams capable of qualifying for the World Cup. Therefore, tournaments like the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship will play a crucial role in helping players gain practical experience. “We need to make the most of official tournaments so that the players can gain more experience. I am very happy working with the team and seeing them improve every day,” he said.
To prepare for this tournament, the Vietnamese futsal team assembled in Ho Chi Minh City on March 16th before departing for Thailand for a training camp starting on March 30th. During the training camp, the team played two practice matches against top Thai futsal clubs, Hong Yen Takam and Blackpearl, which helped the coaching staff assess the players and refine their playing style.
At the end of the training camp, coach Diego Giustozzi finalized the official list of 14 players, with goalkeeper Tran Van Luong being the only name not included. Notably, most of the players on the list have previously participated in international tournaments, with the exception of Nguyen Thac Hieu – a young player showing great potential who was given the opportunity to be included in the final squad.
At the 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship, the Vietnamese futsal team is in Group A along with Myanmar, Timor-Leste, and host nation Thailand. Thailand continues to be considered the strongest opponent and a top contender for the championship. According to the schedule, the Vietnamese futsal team will face Myanmar (April 6th), Timor-Leste (April 7th), and Thailand (April 8th) in the group stage.
On the afternoon of April 5th, the Vietnamese futsal team will have their official training session at the Nonthaburi Gymnasium – a familiar venue for the team as they previously competed in the 33rd SEA Games.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/futsal-viet-nam-muan-du-world-cup.html
Comment (0)