Coach Troussier still needs more time.

POSITIVE ASPECTS

With over 19,000 spectators, Lach Tray Stadium became a beautiful, civilized, and fiery stage for the debut of the Vietnamese national team under new head coach Philippe Troussier. It was the perfect platform for the "White Wizard" to field an attacking lineup against Hong Kong, with the duo of Tuan Anh and Hoang Duc controlling the tempo in midfield, while Quang Hai was returned to his preferred position as a withdrawn right-sided forward near the central striker Van Tung.

Captain Que Ngoc Hai commanded the defense, alongside center-backs Duy Manh and Thanh Binh. The Vietnamese team deployed an active attacking style of play. All three center-backs were no longer confined to their designated areas but frequently swapped positions. They were freed from purely defensive roles, becoming the first to build the attacking play for the home team. In many situations, Thanh Binh and Ngoc Hai appeared in the final third of the Hong Kong defense, crossing the ball into the box like full-backs.

The Vietnamese team still needs to improve its tactics.

Que Ngoc Hai commands the defense.

Quang Hai is skillful.

The mobility of the defense somewhat created pressure, forcing the Hong Kong team to stretch their formation horizontally across the field in an attempt to defend. In this style of play, Tuan Hai, playing as a left winger, was relatively active. However, the effectiveness was not truly high because they had not yet found a harmonious connection with the midfield. In many situations, although the Vietnamese team stifled Hong Kong's playing space, they were unable to convert opportunities into goals from their coordinated plays.

It's great to see Quang Hai playing much better than in the 2022 AFF Cup. His movement was fluid, his touches were well-timed, and he frequently initiated sharp attacks. Quang Hai's cunning was also evident in the situation leading to the opening goal. Hai was fouled in the penalty area, and his teammate Ngoc Hai successfully converted the penalty. Overall, the change in playing style has initially breathed new life into the Vietnamese team. However, Coach Troussier still needs more time to refine the tactics. The coordination between positions wasn't as smooth and harmonious as desired. That's also why the Vietnamese team only scored one goal.

C A STRONGER TEST CALLED SYRIA

Of course, with only one week of training with the Vietnam U23 team, the Vietnamese national team still needs more time to fully understand Coach Troussier's playing style. In reality, the Hong Kong team played defensively but still created four clear-cut chances. Goalkeeper Van Lam even made a spectacular save in a one-on-one situation with an opposing striker. The visitors' opportunities came from set pieces and mistakes by the Vietnamese defense. Pushing the formation too high created huge gaps behind the central defenders. Just a slip by Hoang Duc, or Duy Manh losing the ball, would create a golden opportunity for the opponent to counter-attack. This was even more evident as the players were still somewhat hesitant to adapt to the new style of play.

Coach Troussier still has a lot of work to do.

The day before the match, coach Philippe Troussier had the Vietnamese team train intensely, even exceeding the scheduled time, to convey his ideas. This was rare on the night before a match, leaving the players exhausted. The 68-year-old strategist even asserted that the Vietnamese team could win or lose against Hong Kong, but each player had to demonstrate the attitude and style of play he desired. Besides Tan Tai being replaced by Tien Anh due to injury in the first half, Troussier substituted center-backs Thanh Binh, Van Tung, Hoang Duc, Tuan Anh, and Van Hau for two U23 Vietnamese national team players, Phan Tuan Tai and Khuat Van Khang, striker Dinh Thanh Binh, and midfielders Hai Huy and Xuan Manh. The addition of Van Toan, Cong Phuong, Van Thanh, etc., sitting in the stands clearly conveyed the message that anyone could be substituted and that opportunities were open to everyone. The slowdown in the pace of the game in the second half partly shows that the Vietnamese team is only in the early stages of defining its playing style; mastering it is still a long journey. On June 20th, we will face a more difficult test against Syria. It's very possible that the players watching from the stands at Lach Tray Stadium will have a chance to impress Coach Troussier at Thien Truong Stadium. Hopefully, the opening victory will create a boost of enthusiasm, allowing the Vietnamese team to perform even better.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/van-phai-cho-hlv-troussier-them-thoi-gian-185230615125546766.htm