Coach Troussier and his belief in life!

It's a strong belief. Because if it weren't strong, people wouldn't dare and wouldn't be able to do it.

Even when he recently stated, "80% of Vietnamese people want me to resign," that belief remains unshaken. Proof: the starting lineup against Japan still consisted mostly of young players. Only one veteran was added: Hung Dung, but another veteran was not registered to play: Van Toan – all due to specific tactical requirements in that particular match.

Thai Son (right) is becoming increasingly outstanding.

Self-belief, when maintained to an excessive degree, coupled with the ineffectiveness of the playing field, can lead to conservatism, even madness. But rational belief, demonstrated in the results of revolutions, becomes a rich inner energy, the key to success.

Throughout his coaching career, Philippe Troussier has faced situations like situation 1, such as when he managed the Qatar national team or several clubs in China, and experienced serious conflicts with the media. These were also short-lived stints in coaching. However, in his decades-long coaching career, situation 2 occurred more frequently, culminating in his five years managing the Japanese national team.

Specifically in the match between the Vietnamese national team and Japan, the second scenario occurred. Although his team lost, losing with 41% possession and scoring two goals against the tournament's top contender was incredibly impressive.

More importantly, through his belief in himself, Coach Philippe Troussier instilled confidence in the young players in their 20s (20 years old, not 20 years old). There's Tuan Tai, Minh Trong, Thai Son, Dinh Bac, Tien Anh… To be honest, until Philippe Troussier started using their surnames, many Vietnamese people didn't remember their first names, including me.

Coach Troussier has always remained steadfast in his philosophy.

Watching Thai Son sweep through the midfield, watching Dinh Bac take the ball and direct it straight at the Japanese players' legs, I couldn't believe they were 20-year-old boys playing against the world's 17th-ranked team. And especially when Dinh Bac leaped to head the ball into the net – a truly miraculous goal – I had to exclaim: Bac's 20s are so beautiful – beautiful like a dream!

Recalling the Vietnam-Philippines match, when he was first brought onto the field, Dinh Bac's legs were still very clumsy, but a few weeks later everything was different! From the belief in Troussier's heart to the belief in Dinh Bac's legs, I see a transfer of energy from a 70-year-old man to a boy who is only the age of his grandchildren.

Football, like life, isn't easy to create a generational connection! Look at how Troussier reacted after Vietnam unexpectedly took a 2-1 lead against Japan: he just stood there silently watching. Only when his number one assistant ran up to him and hugged him did he manage a slight smile, a very French smile. For me personally, that European calmness is the calmness of someone who understands life very well. We're leading 2-1, but we're playing against Japan, and only a third of the match has passed. No one knows what will happen in the remaining two-thirds. And looking at it more broadly: if we can create a surprise against Japan today – a positive surprise – then what if we can create a surprise against Indonesia in the next match – a negative surprise? With young people, anything can happen, especially when everything is still in its early stages.

The accumulation of inconsistencies at the beginning gradually builds up to a higher level in the later stages. Having coached for decades, Coach Troussier understands this perfectly and knows how to approach it with the right mindset. Nevertheless, Troussier's belief in this year's Asian Cup opening match shone brightly. This is a very important sign, as it will boost the players' morale in the upcoming matches.

I respect him, with a strong belief in him – a special kind of belief that has remained unchanged through decades of his career. It's truly a kind of "life belief," and in many cases, he's always been willing to gamble, willing to accept failure, with that belief.

Living such a life is truly worthwhile!

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