Coach Miura: 'It will be difficult for Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh to succeed in Japan'

The Japanese strategist still cares about his former students after leaving the Vietnam team.

Coach Miura often pays attention to information about Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh.

“I just met Cong Phuong, the two teachers and students talked quite happily,” coach Toshiya Miura shared with VnExpress during a conversation in Tokyo. “I am happy that Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh are coming to Japan, but to be honest, it will be difficult for them to succeed here. In Japan, 17-18 year old players have been playing in the first team for a long time, so the two Vietnamese players cannot be called young anymore. It will be very difficult for them to get into the main squad.”

Cong Phuong has only started one match at Mito Hollyhock, while Tuan Anh has never been named in the starting lineup by Yokohama. The two members of the Vietnamese team have been on loan in Japan since February this year.Coach Miura assessed that Cong Phuong and Tuan Anh have good technique, but compared to players of the same age in Japan, there is still a big gap, especially in terms of physical strength and tactical vision.

Miura signed a contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in April 2014.. He then helped the Vietnam Olympic team to qualify for the knockout round of the 17th Asian Games in Korea for the first time as group winners, brought the Vietnam team to the semi-finals of the 2014 AFF Cup, and with the Vietnam U23 team won the bronze medal at the 28th SEA Games and for the first time in history, earned a ticket to the U23 Asian finals. However, after the failure at the U23 Asian finals in Qatar, the strategist born in 1963 was forced to leave ahead of schedule.

“I am currently a football commentator in Tokyo, regularly covering La Liga and Serie A matches. The income is good, the work is good, but deep down I always want to return to coaching. Recently, the Thai club Bangkok Glass invited me. The two sides sat down at the negotiating table, but there were a few points that we could not find common ground, so it was not successful. I have the opportunity to work in the J-League and am waiting to return to coaching,” Coach Miura shared about his work after leaving Vietnam.

Coach Miura said that after leaving the Vietnam team, he no longer has to endure much pressure so he looks younger.

While chatting, Coach Miura saw the U13 Yamaha Cup school football players standing in the distance to greet them. He politely asked permission to stand up and take a group photo. Hearing that Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong's players lost both matches against the U13 and U14 of Jubilo Iwata Club, the former captain of the Vietnamese team smiled. He said that was a foregone conclusion because Japanese clubs focus much more on youth training than in Vietnam. The 12-13 year old players already have a very clear tactical mindset, the way they move, coordinate, and play with few touches is no different from their seniors playing in the J-League. Meanwhile, former player Nguyen Huy Hoang admitted that even 15-16 year old Japanese players are strong enough to compete with teams in the V-League, thanks to their thorough training and modern playing style.

“If Vietnamese football wants to develop, it must focus on youth training. There is no other way,” Coach Miura concluded the short conversation that took him more than an hour by subway and on foot to visit, when the young Vietnamese team arrived in Tokyo.

Although leaving was not as expected, Coach Miura still had feelings for Vietnam. When the women's team went to Japan to play the 2016 Olympic qualifiers and Binh Duong played in the AFC Cup, the strategist born in 1963 always went to the stadium or hotel to encourage them.

According to VNE