Coach Miura: 'It's not easy to bully the Taiwanese team'

The Japanese strategist affirmed his determination to win three points against host Taiwan in the second qualifying round of the 2018 World Cup, even though he knew it would not be easy.

Coach Miura and his team are well prepared for the battle. Photo: Jackie Tran.

At 6pm tomorrow, September 8, the Vietnamese team will play against the Taiwanese team in Group F of the second qualifying round of the 2018 World Cup in Asia. To prepare for this match, Toshiya Miura and his team left for Taiwan on September 5 and had three training sessions to get used to the weather and the field.

“We had a bad start when we lost 0-1 away to Thailand, so we are determined to win this match to maintain our chances. Although we know that playing away is always difficult, we will try our best and find a way to get all three points,” said coach Miura.

Taiwan is rated the lowest in the group with Iraq, Thailand and Vietnam. However, coach Miura does not show contempt for his opponent. On the contrary, he affirmed: “We have spent a lot of time studying the videos of Taiwan's recent matches. They are a strong, determined team and are not afraid of collision. Moreover, this team plays at home with the cheers of a large audience. Therefore, this is not an easy opponent to bully.”

Head coaches and captains of the two teams at a press conference in Taiwan today. Photo: Nhat Doan.

Recently, Coach Miura has received a lot of criticism for both his personnel arrangement and playing style. However, the Japanese strategist is not shaken. Miura believes that the team under his leadership is stabilizing: "The players understand each other better, play together and especially always show determination and desire to win in every match. In tomorrow's match, the team will still play with the familiar tactics that have been practiced throughout the past time."

Meanwhile, captain Le Cong Vinh said: “Taiwan has a young squad of players who play with passion and strength. They are in dire need of a win to improve their chances in the World Cup qualifiers. Therefore, they will definitely make the most of their home field advantage to score points against Vietnam.”

“In football, you can’t predict what will happen. The result will only be decided after the final whistle. However, what I can confirm is that our goal has not changed. We will try our best to win this match.”

According to VNE