Coach Troussier 'acceptable defeat' again?

Iraq is guaranteed to top Group D with two wins. The Vietnamese national team has been eliminated from the 2023 Asian Cup after two consecutive losses. Against an opponent among the top 10 teams in Asia, the chances of victory for coach Philippe Troussier's team are not high. It's quite possible this was another "acceptable" defeat for the Vietnamese team – at least according to the standards of the French coach.

The Vietnamese national team generated two contrasting emotions in their first two matches. Coach Troussier's team lost to Japan with a commendable performance, but the defeat against Indonesia brought a feeling of utter disappointment. However, in reality, if viewed subjectively and disregarding the opponent or circumstances, the Vietnamese team's performance in the two matches was not much different.

The Vietnamese team lost two matches and were eliminated early from the 2023 Asian Cup.

Vietnam's ball possession rate was 42.7% against Japan and 57.3% against Indonesia. The number of passes was 533 (against Japan) and 486 (against Indonesia), with no more than 80 long passes per match. In the match against Japan, Vietnam had 6 shots, 3 of which were on target. These figures against Indonesia were 11 and 3 respectively (lower than their opponent in both matches).

Basic statistics show that the Vietnamese team maintained possession, but their attacking ability was not good. Against Japan, the Vietnamese team scored two goals, but both were from set pieces, something that coach Troussier himself did not want to consider as their primary method of scoring.

In fact, in the match against Asia's number one team, the Vietnamese team was praised for its ball control rather than its attacking tactics. The issues in creating opportunities and scoring goals according to a set plan were not mentioned because this was a match where Coach Troussier's team faced an opponent far superior in class. The fact that the Vietnamese team couldn't attack effectively is a reality that can be overlooked.

However, the Vietnamese team's performance against Indonesia was still not good enough. The difference lies in the standards of evaluation. Compared to Japan, Indonesia was a much less difficult challenge, and the expectations and standards set for the Vietnamese team could not be for a loss that was "acceptable".

If we consider Japan to be like Indonesia and ignore the difference in circumstances between a match they could lose and a match they absolutely must win, the performance – or perhaps the way they lost – of the Vietnamese team in these two defeats is not much different.

Coach Troussier still believes that the Vietnamese national team is improving.

Despite two defeats, Coach Troussier still maintains that the Vietnamese team performed well and showed progress. The question is, what benchmark are they comparing it to? If the point of comparison is the early days when the French coach led the U23 Vietnamese team, then it's true that the players showed positive changes.

However, the progress that the French coach mentioned is limited to a few aspects: footballing mindset, ball control, and the players' belief. Translating those elements into results on the field remains something the Vietnamese national team has yet to achieve.

Iraq is a very strong opponent. Their FIFA ranking and their performance in the first two matches prove that. It is very likely that the Vietnamese team will once again suffer a defeat that is considered "acceptable".

The most likely scenario is that Coach Troussier's players will try to control the ball – and if they succeed, they will play cautiously, maintaining a good game against a strong opponent. The Vietnamese team may not create a constant threat to their opponents with well-planned attacks, but this will not be a major concern in a match where they are the underdogs.

Coach Troussier and his team might be praised for losing narrowly in such a match. However, that doesn't necessarily reflect a significant improvement for the Vietnamese national team.

At yesterday's press conference (January 23), the 68-year-old coach said that, in the process he is currently undertaking, the Asian Cup might be a test that comes a little too soon. The Vietnamese national team is still far from reaching its ideal state. Along that journey, there may still be many "acceptable" defeats against both strong and weak opponents.

Han Phong

Source