Coach Hoang Anh Tuan: If given the choice, I would choose Que Ngoc Hai for the Vietnam Olympia team.

On the morning of September 15, the Vietnam Olympic team had their last training session in Hanoi before moving to China to attend the 19th ASIAD. Head coach Hoang Anh Tuan said that the team is working hard to complete the preparation and will try to show the best playing style of the Vietnam Olympic team.

Sharing about the quality of the Vietnam Olympic team participating in ASIAD 19, coach Hoang Anh Tuan said: “Actually, at ASIAD 19, teams are allowed to register players from the U24 group and have 3 more over-age players. If I could choose as I like, I would choose players from the national team. For players over 24 years old, even Que Ngoc Hai can play. Everyone wants to choose the best players.

But at the present time, with the specific goal according to the strategic orientation of VFF on developing young players, we must choose the right players. Everyone wants achievements, but the core task in this period is how to play, how to implement tactics, the progress of the players in the tournament, from which we can evaluate where Vietnamese football is, what level it is.

Regarding the specific goals of the Vietnamese Olympic team when competing at the 19th ASIAD, coach Hoang Anh Tuan affirmed that he does not want to put pressure on his players. “I want them to do their best, more than what they have. With such a requirement, there must be a specific goal behind it. If I say that specific goal, this may not be good for the players. There are many 18-19 year old players on the list, if I give them such a goal, they will have a lot of pressure. Because when competing with players 24 and over 24 years old, that is already a psychological barrier for our players. We should not put more pressure on the players.

I believe the players understand. Although I do not give specific goals for the team, I certainly know the players understand what I want,” coach Hoang Anh Tuan expressed.

Coach Hoang Anh Tuan added: “We always set the goal of how to play the best. With a difficult opponent, the players must try harder, try harder, and be more determined to fulfill the requirements of the coaching staff. The team's playing style is similar to the playing style of the national team. No matter who the opponent is, we still have to play with ball control, follow the same tactics and philosophy. So that when called up to the national team, the players can integrate quickly, which is better for the national team. Of course, against a very strong opponent, we cannot play aggressively, but we must try our best to improve ourselves, so that when the players are called up to the national team, the head coach does not have to waste time making adjustments anymore."

Due to the high density of international tournaments and the consecutive matches, coach Hoang Anh Tuan had very limited time to prepare for the 19th Asian Games. It was not until September 13 that the team had enough players to practice. He shared: “It is extremely difficult to overcome the shortcomings in such a short time, but the advantage is that most of the players have practiced together many times. On the other hand, the players are competing in many tournaments, so the integration and adaptation are still good.

However, every team is like that, there are always difficulties. To overcome those problems, we need more time. The main goal of the team is still to serve the National team. This is just one of the steps for the players to participate in the playground, thereby perfecting themselves."

According to the plan, tomorrow morning (September 16), the Vietnam Olympic team will leave for Hangzhou (China). Before the departure, coach Hoang Anh Tuan announced the official list of 22 players selected according to the regulations of the 19th ASIAD Men's Football Regulations. The two players who had to say goodbye to their teammates were goalkeeper Doan Huy Hoang and midfielder Nguyen Cong Phuong. Of the 22 Vietnamese Olympic players attending the 19th ASIAD, goalkeeper Do Sy Huy, born in 1998, is the only player over 24 years old. The second oldest player is striker Nham Manh Dung, born in 2000. The number of U20 players is 18.

“Actually, we have finalized the list for a long time. But I want Cong Phuong to come here to practice and compete with the players. He is a potential player for the future. And goalkeeper Huy Hoang has competed in the SEA Games and has been selected for the national team. I want him to stay here to practice and gain more experience,” coach Hoang Anh Tuan concluded.

The men's football event at the 19th ASIAD has 23 participating teams, divided into 6 groups (5 groups of 4 teams and 1 group of 3 teams). The Vietnamese Olympic team in Group B will meet Mongolia (September 19), Iran (September 21) and Saudi Arabia (September 24)./.