'Vietnam should not be too happy because Japan has not yet used its full strength'

Expert Doan Minh Xuong praised Vietnam's performance against Japan in their opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup, but also advised Philippe Troussier's team to be cautious with the praise.

- Vietnam started the 2023 Asian Cup with a 2-4 loss to title contenders Japan. What aspect of this match did you find most satisfying?

- The players put in a commendable performance. They started confidently, not playing defensively but instead pressing, coordinating, and moving the ball well against top stars from across the continent. The result was acceptable, as the team lost by two goals but also scored two. The team spirit was also excellent, as the players gave their all.

Under coach Park Hang-seo, whenever facing strong teams, the Vietnamese national team often opted for a defensive-counterattacking style of play. But under coach Troussier, the team has adopted a new approach, focusing on control and escaping pressing. Against Japan yesterday, there were many situations where the players performed very well, resulting in two attacking moves that led to corner kicks and free kicks, ultimately resulting in two goals.

Japan wanted to play an attacking game to finish off Vietnam early, but were surprised by Vietnam's tenacious resistance. The progress of the Vietnamese players was evident in their proactive ball control and willingness to combine in front of opposing players. Such positive reactions are not easily seen against a strong team like Japan.

Striker Dinh Bac accelerated, forcing defender Yukinari Sugawara to commit a foul and receive a yellow card in Vietnam's 2-4 defeat to Japan in the first match of Group D at the 2023 Asian Cup at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar on January 14. Photo: Lam Thoa

- In addition, we scored two goals against Japan for the first time. What are your thoughts on this?

- We scored two goals thanks to our confidence in keeping possession and our purposeful attacking play. Although there was an element of luck involved, these two goals were still the result of effort and an attacking strategy. In the equalizer, the Japanese side were complacent. Perhaps they didn't expect the shorter Vietnamese players to be able to head the ball, so they didn't mark them tightly. Hung Dung then delivered a very good corner kick, perfectly placed to Dinh Bac's head, allowing the striker to head the ball into the far corner. If given the chance to do it again, I think it wouldn't be easy. As for the goal that put us 2-1 ahead, the Japanese goalkeeper did make a mistake, but Tuan Hai deserves praise for sensing the opportunity and rushing to score the rebound instead of being passive. This shows the determination and confidence of this generation of players.

Scoring two goals against Japan is something that even top teams like Germany, Spain, and Türkiye haven't managed in the past year. This detail will certainly relieve pressure and boost the confidence of the Vietnamese players in future matches.

- What are your thoughts on the second half, when Japan completely dominated and didn't allow Vietnam to create any further opportunities?

- As I said, Japan wanted to end the match early, but they didn't expect Vietnam to react so well, so they had to be on guard. Once they were leading 3-2, in the second half they stopped playing an attacking game and switched to a more controlled style, leaving Vietnam with no chance. In fact, the entire second half showed that Vietnam desperately wanted to equalize, but they were powerless because Japan didn't give them any more opportunities.

Vietnam 2-4 Japan

Key events of the Vietnam 2-4 Japan match.

Thus, it can be seen that Japan hasn't unleashed its full potential yet. They are also playing cautiously to conserve energy for the next match against Iraq, because if they win again, they will advance to the next round early. The Asian Cup is still long, so big teams like Japan only need to win to be sufficient. They wouldn't be foolish enough to win by a large margin and risk injury or yellow cards.

- How do you think Vietnam's performance against Japan will help them when they face Indonesia in the next match on January 19th?

- Football doesn't follow a transitive property. Don't think that just because we lost 2-4 to Japan we can beat Germany, because Germany lost 1-4 to Japan. Don't think we can beat Thailand because Thailand lost 0-5 to Japan. Therefore, we shouldn't be too quick to celebrate and assume we'll easily beat Indonesia. Each match requires a different approach. Against Indonesia, Vietnam is no longer the underdog, but must fight back and play an attacking game to find victory. Therefore, the team needs to be alert in every move; haste and impatience will easily backfire.

Furthermore, I'm also quite worried about another detail. Both goals we scored against Japan came from set pieces, not from open attacking situations. Against Indonesia, we will have more possession and more opportunities, so we need to finish well to achieve our goal.

Mr. Doan Minh Xuong has over 30 years of experience in football, having coached teams such as Dong Thap, Binh Duong , Ninh Binh, and Ho Chi Minh City... Photo: Dong Huyen

- In his debut match for the Vietnamese national team, goalkeeper Nguyen Filip admitted to making a mistake leading to the third goal conceded. How would you assess his overall performance?

- He's a top-class goalkeeper with a very good performance and exceptional reflexes. Nguyen Filip is also strong with his feet, so he was able to retain possession and coordinate with his teammates to prevent Japan from imposing their will on him.

Regarding the third goal conceded, it was a repeat of the time Dang Van Lam rushed to clear the ball against Iraq in the World Cup qualifiers, lost possession, and conceded a fatal goal. From these mistakes, I think the goalkeeping coach, his assistants, and even Coach Troussier need to advise, encourage, and instruct their players to be more alert in such crucial moments. Nguyen Filip's strength lies in playing with his feet, and he needs to learn more football "techniques" to reduce the opponent's momentum, conserve his teammates' energy, stabilize the system, and then move the ball forward.

Besides Filip, who deserves praise, the entire Vietnamese defense also deserves recognition. Despite facing the Japanese stars, they showed no fear, calmly tracking them, handling the ball effectively, and neutralizing many opportunities. This needs to be further developed, and I believe they will play even better in future matches.

Duc Dong

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