A successful test is enough.

Basic starting steps

According to the plan, the Vietnamese national team began assembling on October 2nd at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. However, in the initial days of training, the team will have many gaps in its squad due to players from Hanoi Police, Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, and Hai Phong clubs having conflicting schedules with domestic and international competitions. During the first few days of training, the Vietnamese team will mainly focus on passing, ball control, and short-range coordination. The coaching staff will closely monitor each player regarding their position, ball reception posture, timing of passes, movement and receiving of the ball; the quality of passes; and the requirements for intentional head control to serve subsequent requirements.

Coach Troussier caused a surprise by calling up 17-year-old Nguyen Cong Phuong (right) to the Vietnamese national team.

The Vietnamese national team's third training session saw an unexpected adjustment. Coach Troussier moved the afternoon session to late evening. In the first phase, the French coach focused on group coordination, movement, and shooting. In the second exercise, Coach Troussier placed several dummies in and around the penalty area. The players' task was to coordinate through the middle, get the ball into the opponent's defense before crossing it to a teammate inside for a shot. Overall, these were still basic initial steps for the players; there were no high-level group coordination exercises requiring tactical skills, especially with the friendly match against China only three days away.

The Chinese team desperately needs a win.

In the most recent encounter between the Vietnamese and Chinese national teams, Vietnamese fans surely haven't forgotten the sweet memories of the 3-1 victory on the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 2022). More importantly, it was a match where we surpassed our opponents in every aspect, scoring three beautiful and convincing goals thanks to Tan Tai, Tien Linh, and Phan Van Duc. Sweet for Vietnamese fans, but bitter for our neighbors. This was the first time the Chinese national team had lost to Vietnam in their last five official matches, but it was also the most painful defeat because it was in a crucial competition (the third round of World Cup qualifiers).

Over the past two years, both teams have undergone significant changes. New coaches have arrived: Coach Troussier of the Vietnamese national team and Aleksandar Jankovic took over the Chinese national team in July 2022. Under the guidance of the 51-year-old Serbian coach, Wu Lei and his teammates have achieved two wins, one draw, and two losses. Notable results include easy wins against Myanmar and Palestine, but a 1-1 draw against Malaysia and a recent 0-1 loss to Syria. Therefore, the Chinese team desperately needs a win to appease the wave of criticism from fans after these poor results. There have also been strategic changes from their opponents, as they are no longer relying so heavily on naturalized foreign players. In their most recent match against Syria, only Al Kesen was included in the squad.

China's attacking power isn't overly concerning, even with Wu Lei's good form (15 goals in 27 matches for Shanghai Post). They still lack fluidity, cohesion, and creativity in their attacking plays, but in return, the team led by coach Jankovic will certainly use their physical strength, fitness, stature, height, and power to put pressure on us. The problem is how coach Troussier's team will cope with so little time to prepare, and the squad is also struggling as key players are not yet ready, while young players, such as Cong Phuong (17 years old), lack experience. However, the advantage for the Vietnamese team is their relaxed spirit; coach Troussier's players are in high spirits after a series of three consecutive wins. After all, this is just an international friendly, so winning or losing isn't necessarily the most important factor. For a teacher and "evangelist" like Troussier, sometimes a few successful experiments are enough.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-thu-nghiem-thanh-cong-la-du-185231006223935745.htm