Coach Toshiya Miura: 'Must be realistic with the SEA Games final goal'

Coach Toshiya Miura had a frank discussion with Sports & Culture about the goals of the national teams at the 2015 SEA Games, the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the performance of HA.GL and the "hot seat" at the Vietnam Olympic team.

The meeting of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Olympic Committee on the morning of January 15th assigned the target of reaching the final round of the 28th SEA Games to the Vietnam Olympic team. What do you think about this decision?

- I always want the Vietnam Olympic team to achieve the highest position in every tournament. In football, we also have to have ambition. However, everyone needs to spend 50% on reality. We need to look back at the achievements of the U23 Vietnam team in previous tournaments. Let's see what our best achievements are.

Mr. Miura is cautious with the highest goal at SEA Games 28. Photo: VSI

However, I still want to help the team achieve the highest results, and want to help the Vietnam Olympic team surpass the best achievements in the past.

Do you feel pressured when you have to lead the national teams in the World Cup qualifiers, the U23 Asian qualifiers and the SEA Games?

- I am very excited to be coaching the Vietnamese Olympic team again for the SEA Games. Last year, I led the Olympic team to compete in the ASIAD. In that squad, there are many people who will compete in the upcoming SEA Games. I am very happy to be working with them again in the near future.

I don’t feel pressured when I have to lead two teams to compete. In the recent AFF Cup, although the Vietnamese team stopped at the semi-finals, it was still a good experience for me.

The SEA Games and World Cup qualifiers coincide, so I and VFF will have to plan carefully and in detail. We will face many problems such as sharing forces between the teams. I want us to have the best forces for both teams.

How do you react to the information that coach Guillaume Graechen might replace you to lead the Vietnam Olympic team?

- I have not received any official information from VFF on this matter.

How do you rate the opponents in the U23 Asian qualifiers next March?

- In our Group I, Japan is definitely the number one seed. The other 3 teams are Vietnam, Malaysia and Macau (China). Malaysia is the host so they are above us, below is Macau. But Vietnam's goal is of course to win one of the top 2 positions in the group to enter the final qualifying round of the Olympics.

Can you reveal the list of Vietnam Olympic players in the next training session?

- I have in hand a full list of U22 players who can compete in the Olympic qualifiers. I also have a full list of players who can compete in the 2015 SEA Games. But I have not yet decided on the list of the upcoming training session of the two teams.

One of my tasks is to raise Vietnamese football to a new level and make progress in the future. With the national teams, the goal is always to win every match. At the same time, we must also look for talents to develop them.

After a year of working, how do you evaluate Vietnamese players?

- During the past time, I have worked with the national team and the Olympic team. My general assessment is that the players know how to respect and listen to instructions. Personally, I also respect and trust my players. During my time working, I have not encountered any problems with Vietnamese football.

According to TTVH