Coach Troussier: 'We will try our best in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium'

On the evening of March 21, the Vietnam team lost 1-0 to Indonesia in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. With this defeat, coach Troussier and his team's chances of advancing to the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup will no longer be high.

Sharing after the match, coach Troussier said: "We were mentally prepared so we were not surprised by the atmosphere or pressure from the stands. The Vietnamese team also determined that the opponent was ready to collide strongly and play long balls. I told the players to control the ball and avoid unnecessary collisions. In the first half, the team controlled the match well, when they did not have the ball, defended and transitioned well, creating a number of scoring opportunities."

"The opponent did not create any chances. In a balanced match like this, the team that scores first has the advantage. The loss came from an individual mistake despite a lot of practice. But like the 2023 Asian Cup, Japan also lost to Indonesia from a similar situation. Unfortunately, the loss at the beginning of the second half changed the course of the match," said coach Troussier.

Although the Vietnamese team had a disappointing loss, the French coach still praised his players: "They followed the tactics well, especially moving without the ball. In the second leg, the Vietnamese team tried their best. We did not give up, did not surrender. The Vietnamese team has one more match at home and must win the next match if they want to continue. The first leg gave us optimism and many lessons."

When asked by reporters if the Vietnamese team is confident of getting revenge on Indonesia in the second leg, Mr. Troussier replied: "With the nature of the two matches in March, we can consider these two knockout matches with two legs like the European Cup 1. This is only the first leg and for the second leg, the Vietnamese team must concentrate."

"The result of the first leg made me unhappy, but the players tried their best. The goal of the Vietnamese team is to restore the 2-point gap after the second leg. Hopefully in Hanoi the players will come back stronger. I hope the fans will come to the stadium to cheer as strongly as the Indonesian fans in this match," he said.

Regarding the psychology of young players when competing at the "fire pan" Bung Karno, coach Troussier shared: "I don't want to comment on age. The Indonesian team also uses many players at the age of U23. The difference is that their squad has many experienced players, with experience playing in Europe. But looking at today's developments, I don't see any difference between young players and those with a lot of international experience. The key is the moment of conceding a goal that changes the match."

"Regarding the pitch, the pitch was not really good. But I don't use that as an excuse. Today the players still tried their best to execute the style of play I proposed," added Mr. Troussier.

"After this match, I will look at the players to adjust who will start and who will be on the bench. The home field is an advantage for the next match. With 5 substitutions, we have calculated to make changes. In the next match, the Indonesian team aims for a draw, so I calculate that their strength is counter-attacks. I also collect a lot of information about the Indonesian players, from which I can make adjustments," Mr. Troussier concluded.

Meanwhile, midfielder Thai Son said: "We prepared carefully for Indonesia's throw-in situation. Unfortunately, the situation happened very quickly so the team did not have time to resolve it. Today, the Vietnamese team played very hard, unfortunately the team lost due to a set piece situation. But this loss is motivation for the Vietnamese team to try harder and win the second leg. Our goal is still to continue to the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup."

After 3 matches in Group F of the 2nd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, Vietnam dropped to 3rd place with 3 points while Indonesia rose to 2nd place with 4 points. On March 26, the two teams met in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium.