Japanese coach speaks frankly about the strength of the Vietnamese team

In a friendly match this afternoon in Tokyo, the Japanese team won 5-0 against Thailand. It should be emphasized that this was a match in which the "Samurai Blue" only fielded their second team due to the absence of many key players playing abroad.

Coach Hajime Moriyasu said that the Vietnamese team is a formidable opponent (Photo: Getty).

The Japanese team had a good practice session before facing two Southeast Asian teams, Vietnam and Indonesia, at the 2023 Asian Cup. However, when talking about the strength of the Vietnamese team, coach Hajime Moriyasu of the Japanese team was still cautious.

Speaking to the press, coach Hajime Moriyasu said: "The Vietnamese team is experimenting with different tactics compared to when he led the Japanese team. That coach is very knowledgeable about Japanese football.

I believe that Coach Troussier can combine Vietnam's experienced players and young players to become a strong team. I think the Vietnamese team will be a formidable opponent for the Japanese team."

In the past, the Japanese team always had the advantage when meeting the Vietnamese team. In 5 matches, the "Samurai Blue" won 4 matches and drew 1 match.

The only draw between the two teams in the final round of the third qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup was when Japan won the ticket to the next round. At the Asian Cup, the Land of the Rising Sun won 1-0 against Vietnam in the quarter-finals of the tournament in 2019.

The Vietnamese team is ready to face Japan (Photo: Manh Quan).

Recently, coach Hajime Moriyasu announced the preliminary list of the Japanese national team. Notably, injured players such as Kaoru Mitoma and Takefusa Kubo were still called up despite their injuries.

At the 2023 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese team is in Group D with Japan, Iraq and Indonesia. In the upcoming tournament, Coach Troussier's team will face Japan (6:30 p.m. on January 14, 2024), Indonesia (9:30 p.m. on January 19), and Iraq (6:30 p.m. on January 24).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-nhat-ban-noi-thang-ve-suc-manh-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-20240101202434896.htm