Indonesian coach: 'Our goal is to score many goals against the Vietnamese team'
(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Shin Tae Yong confidently affirmed that Indonesia will not only win but also score many goals against Vietnam in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
At noon on March 20, sharing at a press conference before the match between the Vietnamese team and Indonesia in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, coach Shin Tae Yong of the Indonesian team said: "We have prepared carefully for the match against the Vietnamese team. Some key players cannot play in this match and that is very regrettable. However, the Indonesian team is ready for the match. In Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are the strongest teams. All 4 have made remarkable progress. The Vietnamese team has a new coach who is also very good, but he needs time to meet expectations."
Regarding the weakness of the Indonesian team, which is often conceding many goals when competing in continental tournaments, coach Shin said that this problem has been overcome: "Everything gradually changed after the 2023 Asian Cup. Our goal tomorrow is to try to score as many goals as possible and at the same time not concede any goals."
In this training session, Indonesia summoned more than 10 naturalized players, causing mixed public opinion. The Korean strategist shared: "The difficulty of the Indonesian team is that there is not yet a perfect integration between the domestic players and the newly naturalized players. They have difficulty when they first come to the training session, with differences in time zones, environment, and weather. I cannot reveal whether I will use a squad with many naturalized players or not for the match against the Vietnamese team. I will make a decision depending on the physical condition of the players."
Meanwhile, center-back Sandy Walsh said about the upcoming match: "After the success at the 2023 Asian Cup, we are confident to bring a good match against the Vietnamese team. This is a very important match for both teams. We want to prove our position and show Southeast Asia how far the Indonesian team can go."
According to the schedule, the first leg match between Vietnam and Indonesia will take place at 8:30 p.m. on March 21 at Bung Karno Stadium (Indonesia). The second leg will take place at 7 p.m. on March 26 at My Dinh Stadium. These two matches are extremely important for the ticket to the third qualifying round of the World Cup for Vietnam. At the same time, these are also considered key matches that will affect the position of coach Philippe Troussier.
