Coach Troussier: Vietnam team will surprise Japan team

On the afternoon of January 13, coach Philippe Troussier shared his thoughts before the match between Vietnam and Japan in the opening match of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup. This is an extremely difficult match as Japan is considered the number 1 team in Asia and is a strong candidate for the championship of this year's Asian Cup.

However, Mr. Troussier appeared quite optimistic and relaxed before this match: “Myself and the team are proud to be here, representing Vietnam in the tournament. We understand that this is the most prestigious arena in the continent. This is an opportunity to demonstrate our level and ability. The players are well prepared, proud and self-respecting to represent Vietnam. We did not prepare for too long because in my opinion, the players need time with the club. We also had the last friendly match with Kyrgyzstan. Currently, the whole team is ready. Vietnam is the team with the youngest average age in the tournament. But I feel the desire of the players”.

The French coach said that he understands Japan well, so although the upcoming match is very difficult, the whole team will try their best: “I have experience working and understand the strength of the Japanese team. They are the top candidate for the championship. Almost all of their players are playing in the top European leagues. The Japanese team's form is also very high, since the 2022 World Cup they have only lost 1 official match. Moreover, Japan has won all friendly matches, scoring 4-5 goals in each match. Japan is a very strong opponent. For Vietnam to achieve positive results, the players must make more than 100% effort. Preparing for the tournament is not only for the match with Japan, after that the Vietnamese team has two more matches."

The French coach also did not hide his ambition to cause a surprise against Japan: "Playing 10 matches, we may lose 9, but tomorrow's match can have a positive result. Even if we play well, the Vietnamese team can win tomorrow."

He also added that Japan does not have much information about Vietnam, this is a great advantage for the yellow star warriors to compete and create surprises with team spirit.

Coach Troussier concluded the issue in the press conference: "The Vietnamese team must play their best, trying to control the ball as best as possible. The team's goal is to defend well, try to occupy space and take advantage of every opportunity, even the smallest one. With the Japanese opponent, we must start by adapting, trying to play aggressively, not giving the opponent the confidence to deploy their style of play. We know Japan is very strong, a candidate for the championship. Maybe we only have 20% possession but that still has a chance. Let's wait and see what happens tomorrow."

The confrontation betweenTeamVietnam teamand the Japanese Team will take place at 6:30 p.m. on January 14 and will be broadcast live on FPT Play and VTV platforms.