What tactics did coach Philippe Troussier use in the match against Japan?
(Baonghean.vn) - The Vietnamese team finalized the list of 26/30 players to be brought to Qatar, 4 people were eliminated including Viet Hung, Van Luan, Van Do and Vy Hao, while Duy Manh recovered from his injury in time and was retained.
It is quite surprising that Viet Hung, who was trusted before, was eliminated this time. The return of Tien Anh, especially after scoring a goal in the closed friendly match against Kyrgyzstan, was the main reason for this change. The midfield was selected with 10 players, including a new but not new face like Hai Long, so it seems that Viet Hung could not keep his position.
Following the long-standing method of "judging a book by its cover", people have come up with an official lineup for the Vietnam national team at the upcoming 2023 ASIAN Cup. The predicted starting lineup includes Nguyen Filip, Thanh Binh, Viet Anh, Tuan Tai, Van Thanh, Minh Trong, Tuan Anh, Hung Dung, Quang Hai, Tuan Hai and Van Toan. But as we know in recent official matches, coach Troussier will always make experts, fans, and especially opponents always offside, because of his strange way of using people.
No one can predict the French coach's lineup correctly, because they never understand the specific goals and principles he sets for each match. The fact that he did not use two stars Hoang Duc and Hung Dung for a single minute in the two matches in the 2nd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup shows that. This time, Hoang Duc was absent due to injury and Hung Dung was there, but whether the French coach will use Hung Dung from the beginning or not is unpredictable.
In this 2023 ASIAN Cup, the opening matchVietnam teammust face the championship candidate with overwhelming strength, the Japanese team. And whether the French coach will launch the team considered the best to "fight" with the opponent to find initial advantages or not is something no one knows. Because the decisive match for the ticket to the next round of the Vietnamese team is the second match against the Indonesian team. Of course, the French coach needs a strong force, high determination, not to lose strength from the previous match to achieve the best possible result, before thinking about what to do next in the final match of the group stage against the familiar strong team, the Iraqi team.
People are extremely concerned about both the strength and playing style of the team built and led by the French coach for nearly a year now. Regarding the strength, the injuries of a series of key stars are an opportunity for newly called players, especially young players, to test their skills. If Nguyen Filip can reassure many people after Van Lam's injury, it is very difficult to find a replacement for Ngoc Hai. Center-back Viet Anh with his ideal height and physique is being chosen, but clearly, the ability to command the defense, the ability to judge situations, and the power created against the opponent's attack are things that this player has not yet created the necessary trust.
Thanh Binh scored in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, but since then, this ability has not been promoted for either the club or the national team. Tuan Tai is a promising young face and it is not difficult to read the coach's "lesson" about the ability to develop the ball from the bottom up, the ability to make killer passes of the Viettel defender. The wings of the Vietnamese team are currently assigned to Van Thanh-Minh Trong, the reserve team may be Xuan Manh-Tien Anh, but it is worth mentioning that they have not created the same trust as when Trong Hoang-Van Hau were in charge before.
The central midfield pair could consist of two veteran players Tuan Anh-Hung Dung, when Tuan Anh is out of form he could be replaced by Thai Son or Thanh Long… The problem is how Quang Hai will be used in an attacking or defensive-counterattacking formation. Whether young star Dinh Bac will be in the starting lineup or just be brought in from the bench is also something that cannot be confirmed at this time.
In terms of playing style, the French coach always needs his players to control the ball before thinking about playing. But against a team of high caliber like Japan or Iraq, whether or not they can control the ball is a burning reality. Meanwhile, as mentioned, the ability to play defense under Troussier is a big question mark in every position, in terms of the ability to cover, support each other, defend from a distance... The main worry is there, clear as day and no one knows what the coach has been "adjusting" for a long time? There is not much hope, because whether Quang Hai will return to be formidable or not, whether Dinh Bac will "grow up" in time or not, whether Tuan Hai will play well or not... it seems that we still have to... wait./.
