The Vietnamese team began their international friendly tour in October with a match against China. After a series of three victories against opponents such as Hong Kong (China), Syria and Palestine, coach Philippe Troussier and his team continued to increase the difficulty in the series of matches preparing for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The French coach is the first foreign coach to debut for the Vietnamese national team with 3 wins. However, the important thing for the team at this stage is not the results. Coach Troussier is making changes in both personnel and playing style.
Quang Hai and his teammates beat the Chinese team at My Dinh Stadium.
Forget the beautiful memories
The last time they met China, the Vietnamese team - then led by coach Park Hang Seo - won 3-1. It was a beautiful memory for the Vietnamese team but also created a scar that is difficult to heal for Chinese football.
Coach Aleksandar Jankovic has received warnings from the Chinese media that his position will be shaken if his team fails to win. This makes things even more difficult for Coach Troussier and his team. This is an away match.
Coach Jankovic took office at the end of 2022 but has only helped the Chinese team win 3 victories. The Serbian coach is also in the process of building a new squad and playing style for the home team.
In fact, the team from the country of a billion people is still rated higher than the Vietnamese team. In addition to Wu Lei, Wang Shenchao or Xie Pengfei, naturalized players like Browning and Elkeson still play well in the domestic league.
Superior physique is also an advantage for the home team. Before beating China at My Dinh Stadium in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team lost to this opponent in the first leg due to high balls.
Coach Troussier continues to experiment
The Vietnamese team practiced playing short-range football and controlling the ball in difficult situations. The coaching staff even had to think about the immediate results while planning for the future. Not many players who were at their peak in the last 5 years can still maintain their form, while younger players have not had enough opportunities to mature as early as their seniors from the 1995-1998 generation.
The current Chinese team has changed a lot compared to the loss to the Vietnamese team in 2022.
On the other hand, to prepare for the upcoming World Cups, Mr. Troussier must gradually build up a young force. That is why nearly half of the list of the Vietnamese national team this time are U23 players. They will be given the opportunity, but in the confrontation with strong opponents, Mr. Troussier will have to prioritize the best players.
After a few matches with the opportunity to show his ability, Nguyen Dinh Trieu may have to give back his starting position to Dang Van Lam. The goalkeeper born in 1993 plays well with his bare feet but is still the goalkeeper with the highest performance in V-League. Van Lam is still solid in the goal of Binh Dinh Club.
The wing positions could be where Coach Troussier experiments. Phan Tuan Tai, Vo Minh Trong and Ho Van Cuong have opportunities when Doan Van Hau and Ho Tan Tai are both injured.
The most anticipated young player is probably Nguyen Thai Son, who has shown rapid progress at both club and youth levels over the past year. However, he will have difficulty competing for a position with Nguyen Hoang Duc, Do Hung Dung and Nguyen Tuan Anh.
Expected lineup China vs Vietnam
Chinese team: Yan Junling, Zhang Linpeng, Browning, Wang Shenchao, Sun Guowen, Yennaris, Zhu Chenjie, Li Lei, Wu Lei, Xie Pengfei, Elkesson.
Vietnam team: Van Lam, Tuan Tai, Ngoc Hai, Duy Manh, Minh Trong, Hoang Duc, Hung Dung, Van Cuong; Quang Hai, Bui Vi Hao, Tuan Hai.
Prediction: China 3-2 Vietnam
Mai Phuong
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