Troussier's Olympic Vision

DREAM OF OLYMPIC PARIS 2024

With vastly different squad compositions, in just the past few months, the Vietnam U23 team led by coach Troussier won the bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games, while the Vietnam U23 team led by coach Hoang Anh Tuan successfully defended their Southeast Asian U23 Championship title. Both teams share a common formula for player selection: replacing young players lacking potential for development with younger, more talented, and more ambitious individuals. The fact that the Vietnam U23 team recently won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship with many very young players is vivid proof that the comprehensive youth development strategy established by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and coaches Troussier and Hoang Anh Tuan is entirely correct. The Group C qualifying round for the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, starting on September 6th, will be the beginning of a new question: how far will coach Troussier's revolution help Vietnamese football take off?

Coach Troussier has set ambitious goals.

When training with the Vietnamese national team, the level of the Vietnamese U.23 team (right) will also be raised.

The answer lies in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship – where the four semi-finalists will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics (the fifth-placed team will play a play-off against an African representative). Mr. Troussier wants Vietnam to reach the 2024 AFC U-23 Championship, and if this happens, Vietnamese football will have participated in the finals for the fifth time. From there, they can aim for the higher level of competition, the Olympics.

Commentator Huynh Sang assessed: "The Vietnam U23 team reached the final of the 2018 U23 Asian Championship and the semi-finals of the 2018 ASIAD. At the U23 age, the consistency of players is still not high, even in top Asian football nations. Therefore, we must prepare very well. The opportunity for Vietnam to qualify for the Olympics through the U23 Asian Championship is there, especially since besides the four semi-final spots, there is also one play-off spot. But first, we must conquer the 2024 U23 Asian Championship qualifiers."

Urging the Vietnam U23 team to accelerate their skill level improvement.

The Vietnam U23 team has all the advantages of "favorable timing, location, and human resources" as they host Group C of the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers at home in Phu Tho (we will face Guam U23 on September 6th, Yemen U23 on September 9th, and Singapore U23 on September 12th). The team boasts some of Vietnam's best players at this age, such as Tuan Tai, Van Khang, Thai Son, Thanh Nhan, and Minh Trong… But to achieve their goals, Coach Troussier is putting the Vietnam U23 team into fierce competition, and no one dares to be complacent because the risk of losing their spot can occur at any time. Coach Troussier is urging the Vietnam U23 team to accelerate their skill level, not only to defeat the three opponents in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers (all from footballing nations ranked below Vietnam in the FIFA rankings), but also to be able to compete at the continental level.

The Vietnam U.23 team has been entrusted with a great responsibility.

Commentator Huynh Sang remarked: "Mr. Troussier is creating a positive effect, helping young players become more confident and assertive, in addition to improving their technical and tactical skills. The gap in skill level and the disparity in Asian football are no longer as vast as before. We are getting stronger, gradually achieving surprising results against youth teams from the top 10 football nations in the continent. Remember at the 2014 ASIAD, Vietnam U23 defeated Iran 4-1 to reach the quarterfinals, and four years later we beat Japan, Bahrain, and Syria to reach the semifinals of the 2018 ASIAD. Clearly, setting the goal of qualifying for the Olympics through the U23 Asian Championship is a shorter, more achievable goal. In football, you need to achieve short-term goals to aim for long-term ones. Vietnam U23 has won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship twice, and has gone deep in the U23 Asian Championship and ASIAD, so taking another step towards the Olympics is also a step forward." This move is necessary to achieve the more significant goal of the 2026 World Cup."

Who can replace Doan Van Hau in the Vietnam national team ?

As Thanh Nien newspaper reported, Doan Van Hau has not fully recovered from his heel injury and therefore cannot participate in the friendly match against Palestine at Thien Truong Stadium on September 11th. The opportunity may go to Hoang Thai Binh, a player who has been called up to the Vietnamese national team for the first time by coach Troussier. The defender, born in 1998, played in 19 out of 20 matches for Thanh Hoa FC in the V-League 2023. He also made a significant contribution to helping the Thanh Hoa team win the 2023 National Cup. In addition, if he wants to increase attacking power, coach Troussier could also use left midfielders like Truong Tien Anh ( Viettel FC) or Trieu Viet Hung. Tien Anh has good speed and excellent physical fitness. Meanwhile, Viet Hung is frequently used as a left back at Hai Phong FC.

Thu Bon

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/tam-nhin-olympic-cua-ong-troussier-185230904150736959.htm