Stumbling leads to progress.

Consecutive defeats will help the Vietnam U23 team (in white shirts) recognize their weaknesses so they can improve and progress further. Photo: VFF

But in a training, friendly match, the lessons learned from this defeat will be far more valuable for the players, helping them to improve and mature.

While the loss to U23 Iraq stemmed from a lack of players, in the match against U23 UAE, U23 Vietnam played with a full squad for 90 minutes but still suffered an even heavier defeat. A positive point for the young Vietnamese players in this match was their effort to avoid conceding a goal in the first half, as well as their willingness to control the ball and build attacks from their own half despite being heavily pressed by the opponent. Furthermore, Van Do and his teammates showed their determination; despite conceding goals in the second half, they did not give up on their goal of attacking to find an equalizer. These are qualities that Coach Troussier's players should cultivate in the future.

However, the weaknesses revealed by the two defeats in Doha, especially against the UAE U23 team, were quite evident. Against opponents with superior physique, speed, and technique, the Vietnam U23 team struggled to implement their playing style, failing to utilize their counter-attacking defensive strengths, which have become a trademark of the Vietnamese youth teams. The team's attacking moves in the two matches were unclear, and finishing is a major problem. Conceding 7 goals in 2 matches partly reflects the lack of solidity in the defense, where the Vietnam U23 team has many key players who won the SEA Games 31 gold medal. Against opponents with diverse attacking strategies, especially aerial balls, the Vietnam U23 defense showed many shortcomings, the most obvious evidence being the first goals conceded in both matches, both from opponents' aerial attacks.

Furthermore, physical fitness is an issue that Coach Troussier will have to help his players improve significantly in the coming time. In both recent matches, the young Vietnamese players often ran out of steam in the final minutes, leading to consecutive goals conceded. Statistics show that the Vietnam U23 team conceded 3 goals from the 80th minute onwards in these two matches. This problem was acknowledged by Coach Troussier after the match against the UAE U23 team.

“In terms of results, the Vietnam U23 team lost, but the team's goal in this tournament is the gradual progress of the players. I told the players that the real result isn't about the scoreline, but about the ideas and attitude towards the game. The Vietnam U23 team is working hard, training diligently, and has shown a good foundation for gradual improvement,” Coach Troussier said about the ultimate goal of the Vietnam U23 team after the last two matches.

VINH HY

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