The first matches of U23 Vietnam under coach Philippe Troussier did not bring joy to fans. The French coach and his students received a lot of criticism after 2 consecutive losses. The pressure was even greater when these failures were compared to a rival in the same region.
Thailand U23 won 4 points after the first 2 matches of Doha Cup 2023. The Golden Temple team is only behind UAE U23 and Korea U23. They are definitely in the top 4 of the tournament and will play U23 Kuwait in the third place match in the final round.
U23 Vietnam 0-4 U23 UAE
Thailand U23 started the tournament with a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia U23. That was a match in which the Southeast Asian team scored first in the 10th minute and maintained a good game. Although they were behind 2-1 in the second half, coach Issara Sritaro's team still managed to equalize to earn a point.
In the second match against host U23 Qatar, it was U23 Thailand who played better. The Golden Temple team only won 1-0 but one goal did not reflect their good performance. The young Thai players created many opportunities.
Among the 10 teams participating in the 2023 Doha Cup, U23 Vietnam and U23 Thailand are the two representatives of Southeast Asian football. Looking at the rankings, where U23 Thailand is undefeated after 2 matches, the fact that U23 Vietnam has lost 2 consecutive matches is a clear contrast. This makes Vietnamese fans even more worried.
The reason is that U23 Vietnam is in the process of building its force and playing style towards the goal of defending the SEA Games men's football gold medal. In the regional arena, Thailand is always a formidable competitor to Vietnamese teams at all levels. The worrying thing is that U23 Vietnam only has more than 1 month left to prepare for the 32nd SEA Games.
The home team is not good, while the competitors are playing successfully. That creates pressure for coach Philippe Troussier. This is the generation of players that Vietnamese football has high expectations for towards the 2026 World Cup. Therefore, just a few losses in friendly tournaments also cause coach Troussier to be criticized by fans.
Coach Troussier faces a lot of pressure.
At this stage, perhaps Coach Troussier cannot be concerned about his competitors. He is facing a huge challenge in preparing for his team. U23 Vietnam needs to improve its own ability before comparing with its opponents.
" U23 Vietnam is making efforts. The team is preparing for the SEA Games. I want to convey to the players the thirst and fighting spirit. I want them to have more realistic situations playing football like what they tried to create against U23 UAE. The players played very well in the first half. From this first half, I want them to maintain their confidence. They responded very well," said coach Troussier after 2 defeats in the Doha Cup.
Mai Phuong
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