Feeling anxious along with the "white wizard" and his students.

Báo Quảng Bình•09/04/2023

(QBĐT) - With only about a month left until the 32nd SEA Games, the shape and strength of the Vietnam U22 team are still unclear. The same applies to the national team. There are too many challenges for the new head coach, Philippe Troussier.

1. The SEA Games Organizing Committee has conducted the draw for the men's football tournament at the 32nd SEA Games. However, public opinion has long been able to face the issue directly: To win the championship, Vietnam must overcome all opponents, the biggest of whom is Thailand, not to mention several other teams that have reached or even matched the level of the Vietnam U22 team.

This is because the path to the championship for Coach Park's team at the SEA Games 31 was not paved with roses. In other words, it was very difficult. No one expected that in the group stage they would draw 0-0 with the Philippines, win 1-0 against Myanmar, and only beat Timor Leste 2-0. In the semi-final against Malaysia, it wasn't until the second extra time period (111th minute) that Tien Linh scored the only goal to send Vietnam U23 to the final. In the championship match, we only managed to score one goal from a header by Nham Manh Dung (83rd minute).

What would have happened if Coach Park Hang Seo's team hadn't had the home advantage, and if Coach Park Hang Seo hadn't had 5 years of experience leading Vietnamese football? The reality is that the U23 generation from the SEA Games 31 didn't have outstanding skill. They certainly couldn't compare to their predecessors. Coach Park effectively used three of the most excellent and experienced overage players – Tien Linh, Hoang Duc, and Do Hung Dung – to "cover the field" for the younger players. After the SEA Games, at all levels, not many players who were champions of the SEA Games 31 have performed outstandingly in the V-League, U23, and the national team.

The goal of defending their SEA Games 32 title is facing many challenges for coach Philippe Troussier's team. Photo: VFF

2. Let's recall that before the 31st SEA Games, the Vietnamese U23 team (the main squad) didn't make much of an impression. Conversely, right before the SEA Games, the U23 B team surprised everyone by winning the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. However, looking back calmly, all the teams in that tournament fielded their U19 and U20 youth teams, including Thailand.

The current U23 team is causing even more concern with their performance at the Doha Cup. Meanwhile, the SEA Games organizers no longer allow players over 23 to participate, contrary to previous precedent. Thailand's U23 team, with their recent performance at the Doha Cup, sent a strong message to Philippe Troussier's team about their ambition to defend their title.

Calculating the optimal peak performance timing for the SEA Games 32, given the limited time he has with the Vietnam U22 team and the lack of opportunities to implement his coaching philosophy, is proving to be an extremely difficult challenge for the "white wizard." Failure at this SEA Games would significantly hinder Coach Troussier's pursuit of trust and success in the upcoming stages, with their ambitious goals.

Recently, on On Sports' "This is Football - April 4th" program, Coach Park Hang Seo shared his thoughts on his successor, Philippe Troussier. The South Korean coach said he had been following the Vietnamese U23 team's performance at the 2023 Doha Cup. In that tournament, under Coach Troussier's guidance, the Vietnamese U23 team lost 3 matches and conceded 7 goals.

"Mr. Troussier is a good coach. The only problem is that he needs time to adapt because he hasn't coached for a long time. I suggested that the fitness coach send the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) the data on Vietnamese players because I think it will be helpful for the next coach. I think it would be very good if Coach Troussier could refer to it," the South Korean coach revealed.

That's right, Coach Troussier had too little time, and also too little understanding of his players and Southeast Asian football. As evidence, he showed a lack of tactical guidance at the Doha Cup. These are major obstacles that cause us great concern for the Vietnam U22 team at this year's SEA Games.

On the afternoon of April 5, 2023, the draw for the football tournament at the 32nd SEA Games took place in Cambodia. In the men's football event, the draw placed the Vietnam U22 team in Group B along with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Laos. Meanwhile, Group A consists of host nation Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor Leste.

The group stage for the Vietnam U22 team is predicted by experts to be exciting and full of surprises, as it brings together formidable teams. The last time Vietnam faced Thailand in the SEA Games group stage was in 2019 in the Philippines. These two fierce rivals from Southeast Asia also met in the final of the most recent SEA Games 31.

According to the schedule, the Vietnam U22 team will play at the Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh, which has a capacity of approximately 15,000 seats. Teams in this group will play on April 30th, May 3rd, May 8th, and May 11th. Group A will be held at the Cambodian National Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 70,000 seats. Matches will take place on April 29th, May 2nd, May 7th, and May 10th. After the group stage, the semi-final matches will be played on May 13th, followed by the final on May 16th.

Nam Giao

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