The Vietnamese national team begins its international friendly tour in October with a match against China. Following a series of three victories against opponents such as Hong Kong (China), Syria, and Palestine, coach Philippe Troussier's team continues to increase the difficulty of their matches in preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The French coach is the first foreign coach to debut with the Vietnamese national team, achieving three 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 defeated the Chinese national team at My Dinh Stadium.
Let's temporarily forget the beautiful memories.
The last time Vietnam faced China, the Vietnamese national team – then led by coach Park Hang Seo – won 3-1. That was a fond memory for the Vietnamese team, but it also left a deep and lasting scar on Chinese football.
Coach Aleksandar Jankovic received warnings from the Chinese media that his position would be severely threatened if his team failed to win. This further increased the difficulties for Coach Troussier and his players, especially since this was an away game.
Coach Jankovic took office at the end of 2022 but has only led the Chinese national team to 3 victories. The Serbian coach is also in the process of building a new team and playing style for the host nation.
In fact, the team from the country with the world's largest population is still considered stronger than the Vietnamese national team. Besides Wu Lei, Wang Shenchao, and Xie Pengfei, naturalized players like Browning and Elkeson are still performing well in the domestic league.
The home team also has an advantage in terms of physical strength. Before defeating China at My Dinh Stadium in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team had previously lost to the same opponent in the first leg due to aerial balls.
Coach Troussier continues to experiment.
The Vietnamese national team practices short passes and ball control in challenging situations. The coaching staff even has to think about immediate results while also planning for the future. Not many players who were at their peak in the last five years have maintained their form, while younger players haven't had enough opportunities to mature as quickly as their predecessors from the 1995-1998 generation.
The current Chinese national team has changed significantly since their loss to Vietnam in 2022.
On the other hand, in preparation for upcoming World Cups, Troussier must gradually build up a young squad. That's why nearly half of the Vietnamese national team's squad this time consists of U23 players. They will be given opportunities, but in matches against strong opponents, Troussier will have to prioritize the best players.
After a few matches where he had a chance to prove himself, Nguyen Dinh Trieu may have to relinquish his starting position to Dang Van Lam. The 1993-born goalkeeper may not be particularly good with his feet, but he remains one of the most in-form goalkeepers in the V-League. Van Lam is still a reliable choice in goal for Binh Dinh FC.
The wing positions could be where coach Troussier experiments. Phan Tuan Tai, Vo Minh Trong, and Ho Van Cuong have a chance now that both Doan Van Hau and Ho Tan Tai are injured.
Perhaps the most promising young player is Nguyen Thai Son, who has shown rapid progress at both club and youth national team levels over the past year. However, he is unlikely to compete for a starting position with Nguyen Hoang Duc, Do Hung Dung, and Nguyen Tuan Anh.
Predicted lineups for 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 national 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
Source
Comment (0)