Coach Graechen: Cong Phuong's hype is the fault of the press.

Coach Guillaume Graechen asserted that Công Phượng's problem stems from the excessive praise from the media. His statement came after the poor performance of the Hoàng Anh Gia Lai JMG U19 captain against Sydney U21 in the third match of Group B of the Thanh Nien Newspaper Cup International U21 tournament yesterday afternoon (October 23).

Is Công Phượng's poor performance due to media coverage? Photo: Vietnam+

"Just after one goal against Australia, you guys elevated Phuong to the status of a shining star. His environment has completely transformed. He doesn't even have two meters of freedom on the street. He's been hyped up excessively in the last month; don't forget he's just a young player."

While defending Phuong in this way, coach "Giom" himself had to admit: "On the field, he has made too many individual plays. He will have to learn to balance everything."

Cong Phuong's poor form was also one of the reasons for the disappointing performance of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai JMG U19 team: "This was a complicated match; gaining the advantage and then losing it, followed by conceding a goal from a set piece, is, in my opinion, terrible."

“I’m disappointed with this result. We controlled the game, we played better, but without the draw, we still wouldn’t have progressed. I’m disappointed because if we had gotten a draw, we would have finished first in the group and had an extra day of rest. But now we have to play in two days. I’m happy but not comfortable with this result.”

Cong Phuong had very few notable moments on the ball against U21 Sydney. Photo: Vietnam+

The defeat of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai JMG U19 team once again raised questions about the team's physical fitness. However, coach Graechen countered: “I don't doubt the players' fitness because they ran until the very last minutes of the match. A disadvantage in physique always leads to questions about fitness. In 10 years, you will still be asking this question. I prefer a team that is smaller but talented and technically skilled rather than a team that is tall but lacks quality.”

Having advanced to the semi-finals by draw after losing to their direct rivals, the French coach made a suggestion: “This is also the first time I’ve heard of this kind of draw. We could introduce many other factors for ranking, such as the number of times the ball hit the crossbar, the number of attacks, or the team that receives the most cards will be eliminated.”

The head coach of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai JMG U19 team concluded the press conference with a statement about Ksor Uc – the player who scored an own goal in yesterday's match: “After the team secured qualification, things will be easier for Uc. If we had drawn a losing match, I would have had many psychological problems with him.”

“Outside the pitch, I can guide him. But the only solution is to put him in a realistic situation. I will definitely have a conversation with him. The important thing is that I have to protect him.”

According to Vietnam+