Is coach Philippe Troussier heading in the right direction?

In the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup against the powerful Japanese team on January 14th, Philippe Troussier continued to trust the young players including Tuan Tai, Minh Trong, Thai Son, and Dinh Bac, placing his faith in and entrusting captaincy to midfielder Hung Dung, adding more steel to the midfield by using the best defensive midfield trio of Hung Dung, Thai Son, and Tuan Anh, alongside making Xuan Manh's first start at right back.

Against Japan, currently ranked number one in Asia, in the top 20 in the world, and in excellent form recently, the Vietnamese national team under coach Philippe Troussier showed a fresh and fluid approach, proactively building play from their own half, ready to defend deep, and transitioning when opportunities arose.

Making his first start for the Vietnamese national team, goalkeeper Nguyen Filip played a crucial role in calmly and coherently distributing the ball, allowing it to be passed to left-sided center-back Tuan Tai, the catalyst for every lightning-fast attack and counter-attack against an opponent of superior quality in every aspect.

The target of every counter-attack was young striker Dinh Bac, a 20-year-old player who is improving every hour, every minute, under the trust of his French coach and his teammates behind him. From a burst of speed down the left wing in the 15th minute (about 5 minutes after his team conceded a goal), Dinh Bac earned a corner kick for the Vietnamese national team. Then, this striker from Nghe An received the ball from Hung Dung's corner kick and headed it back to equalize the score 1-1 for the Golden Star team. The goal was reminiscent of striker Cong Vinh's header at the 2008 AFF Cup, confirming that Nghe An always produces football talents and makes extremely important contributions to Vietnamese football.

Furthermore, Dinh Bac then accelerated, forcing the opponent to commit a foul, resulting in another free kick for the Vietnamese team, similar to the one in the 2028 AFF Cup. This time, the left-footed free kick was also taken by a player from Nghe An, Tuan Tai. He delivered a lofted pass to center-back Viet Anh, who jumped high and passed the ball inside. Goalkeeper Suzuki pushed the ball away, and Tuan Hai rushed in to score the rebound, making the score 2-1, much to the surprise of the opponent and even ourselves. Both goals for the Vietnamese team bore the mark of players from Nghe An. Moreover, this was a match against the Japanese team, so the significance was even greater. Remember, in their last 10 matches, Japan only conceded two goals once, against Türkiye (Japan won 4-2). Despite that difficulty, the Vietnamese team still managed to do it, leaving their opponent helpless.

At this point, Philippe Troussier's famous phrase "controlling the ball in attack," which had previously caused much skepticism among football fans, has become a vivid and eloquent manifestation of reality more than ever before.Vietnam national teamScoring two consecutive goals from two set pieces is a remarkable achievement in football, especially against a world-class opponent.

Of course, the Japanese team was surprised, but they weren't easily defeated. When they accelerated, played quickly, and showcased individual talent, the Vietnamese team revealed their inherent weaknesses, despite their best efforts. The problem for the Vietnamese team in this match wasn't how many goals they conceded, but how they reacted after each goal. Japan has long had a habit of scoring 4-5 goals per match against any opponent, so Minamino (2 goals), Nakamura, and Ueda each scoring one goal against Vietnam was normal for them. What truly woke the Japanese up was Dinh Bac's spectacular header and Tuan Hai's superb free-kick leading to the goal. This was a tremendous achievement, a testament to the hard work Philippe Troussier had put into his players, entrusting them with this crucial responsibility in a major continental tournament.

With the Vietnamese team scoring two goals to secure a 2-4 aggregate victory, confidence has been boosted to unprecedented levels as they look towards the upcoming matches. The fact that coach Philippe Troussier rested Quang Hai and Van Toan, and the entire team received no yellow cards in the opening match, along with an extra day of rest, are significant advantages for the crucial clash against Indonesia on January 19th.

After a promising start, despite the inevitable defeat, the Vietnamese team will have ample time to reflect on all the strengths and weaknesses in the match, especially conceding four goals against a formidable opponent. Nguyen Filip played confidently and skillfully, but a few hesitant moments in coming out of his goal might need some adjustment. Thanh Binh needs to be quicker in crucial situations. Tuan Anh's fitness is clearly a disadvantage in this tense 90-minute battle of wits. Central defense is clearly not a strength of our back line, and we desperately need the support of our defensive midfielders…

And now everyone understands why Philippe Troussier has been constantly experimenting with players, always trusting young players, and especially why players need to "control the ball." The statistics showing Vietnam's ball possession time at 45% (previously estimated at 20%) prove that the Golden Star team is on the right track to go far; they are doing the right things to improve their level; and they are gradually reaching the continental stage as planned, despite the countless difficulties and obstacles ahead.