Australian coach praises Vietnam national team; Coach Park explains why Van Lam replaced Tan Truong

Coach Park Hang-seo explains why Van Lam was chosen to replace Tan Truong

One of the three notable changes in Vietnam's starting lineup against Australia is the presence of goalkeeper Dang Van Lam.

Explaining the reason for choosing the overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper to replace Bui Tan Truong, Coach Park Hang-seo said: “When we called Tan Truong to the national team, our coaching staff as well as many domestic football experts were hesitant about the past or Tan Truong's mistakes in the past. But I didn't watch those videos. I saw that in the last 3 matches in the second qualifying round and the match that Vietnam played against Saudi Arabia, he played well. Tan Truong blocked many situations that led to goals.

Goalkeeper Dang Van Lam

As for Van Lam, after 1 year and 6 months, we have just met him again. Lam also just went to Saudi Arabia 4 days before the match. During his time at Cerezo Osaka, Van Lam only played 2 matches. That period of time was short, so I have not assigned a role to Lam. In addition, Australia is strong in terms of physique, physical strength and aerial balls. Therefore, I chose Van Lam. This is my opinion. In terms of aerial balls, Van Lam is better than Tan Truong. In addition, I also want to create a healthy competitive atmosphere. Today, although Vietnam conceded a goal, Van Lam did his job very well."

Regarding the fact that Cong Phuong has not appeared in this training session, Mr. Park explained in detail: “It is not that I did not call Cong Phuong this time. In August, when the Vietnam National Team gathered, I also called Cong Phuong. But Cong Phuong also had important personal matters. That is, his wife gave birth. Actually, we have to clarify that it is not that I did not call Cong Phuong. I respect his personal matters. After that, I also discussed with VFF about calling Cong Phuong. But because of the complicated Covid-19 epidemic, the flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi was suspended. Cong Phuong himself has also gone through 40 days without practicing with the team. Therefore, if Cong Phuong is called up to the national team, I do not know how his health is. Our plan is that Cong Phuong will be called up to the team from September 9th.”

Australian coach praises Vietnam national team

Australia coach Graham Arnold praisedVietnam teamafter the match at My Dinh Stadium in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

The Australian team only had 1 shot on target and that was the only goal by Rhyan Grant in the 42nd minute. In the rest of the match at My Dinh Stadium, the Vietnamese team played on par with the away team.

Coach Graham Arnold also admitted that Australia faced a big challenge when visiting Vietnam, and praised the performance of Quang Hai and his teammates.

“In fact, the Vietnam team created a lot of difficulties for Australia in this match. We also knew that this away match would be very difficult, because the Vietnam team usually plays well at home.” - Coach Graham Arnold shared.

The Vietnamese team played on par with Australia, despite being rated lower than their opponents. Photo: Duong Thuat

According to coach Graham Arnold, the fact that My Dinh Stadium does not welcome spectators is also an advantage for Australia in this match: "Playing on a stadium without spectators is an advantage for Australia. Because if you watch other matches, you will see that Vietnamese fans or other home fans are very enthusiastic in cheering for their team."

Admitting that the Vietnamese team played well and could cause many difficulties for other opponents in the group. However, the Australian coach refused to compare the Vietnamese team with China (lost 0-3 to Australia in the first match).

The Socceroos boss summed up the match: “I have nothing to criticize about the players in this match. I am proud of my players. Although we could have had a better result, the most important thing is that the team got 3 points.”

Vietnam team dropped in rank after 2 losses

According to Football Ranking, the loss at My Dinh Stadium caused the Vietnamese team to lose 7.21 points in the FIFA rankings.

FIFA ranking of Vietnam team after 2 losses.

In the opening match on September 3 (Hanoi time), the Vietnamese team lost 1-3 to host Saudi Arabia, ranked 61st in the world. The red team was deducted 9.55 points.

After 2 losses, the Vietnamese team lost a total of 16.76 points, leaving them with 1,244 points. Coach Park and his team will likely drop two places to 94th in the world. The ranking of the Vietnamese team also depends on the results of the next ranked opponents.

FIFA will announce the new rankings on September 14, after the teams finish their matches during the FIFA Days.

Griezmann helps France win 2-0

Atletico Madrid's new signing scored twice to bring a 2-0 victory for coach Didier Deschamps' team against Finland.

France will host Finland in the sixth match of Group D of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Europe on the morning of September 8 (Hanoi time). After a 1-1 draw with Ukraine earlier, "Les Bleus" hope to regain their winning streak to increase the gap with their pursuers in the group.

Antoine Griezmann spoke up when France needed him most. The player who joined Atletico this summer had a brilliant performance. In the 25th minute of the match, after a combination with Karim Benzema, Griezmann fired a beautiful chip into the visitors' net.

Griezmann's brilliance also helped the 2018 World Cup champion quench their thirst for victory over the past time.

In the 53rd minute, Finland's net shook for the second time. This time it was Griezmann. Starting from a move on the right wing, the 30-year-old striker penetrated the opponent's penalty area and had a delicate finish.

Griezmann's brilliance also helped the 2018 World Cup champions quench their thirst for victory. Before this match, the French team had a series of 5 consecutive draws for the first time in history. After 11 years, the French team had conceded 5 consecutive matches.

Winning 3 points against Finland, France continues to lead Group D with 12 points after 6 matches. Their record is 3 wins and 3 draws.

Ronaldo's first training session with Man Utd

On the evening of September 7 (Hanoi time), Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Carrington training center after completing 5 days of quarantine as prescribed in England. The striker born in 1985 had a meeting with coach and former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before starting his first training session with his new teammates.

Ronaldo received a welcome from his junior players, including compatriot Diogo Dalot.

In the last 3 seasons, Ronaldo's goals in all competitions were 28, 37 and 36 respectively. In Serie A 2021, he scored 29 goals and won the tournament's top scorer title. CR7 is expected to provide a solution to the striker problem that has been a headache for coach Solskjaer for a long time.

Ronaldo has changed a lot since his first training sessions at Manchester United. Although he is 36 years old, CR7 is still considered one of the top scorers in the world today. His physical strength and ability to choose a position, head the ball, and shoot still make many young colleagues admire him.

Ronaldo spent six years at United from 2003 to 2009. So he didn't need much time to get used to the facilities at Carrington. The 36-year-old striker took part in a few exercises under the supervision of Technical Director Darren Fletcher.

The time off from the national team helped Ronaldo complete his quarantine in England earlier than expected. With good physical condition, the "Seleccao" captain can play in the match against Newcastle on September 11.

"I'm back to a place I never stopped loving," Ronaldo warmed the hearts of MU fans with his words about his feelings when returning to Old Trafford. According to the British press, tickets to watch the match between MU and Newcastle this weekend have increased in price to 2,500 pounds, a figure higher than the season ticket price of many Premier League clubs such as Liverpool (685 pounds) and Tottenham (801 pounds).