Coach Dang Phuong Nam: 'U20 Vietnam will play well because they have nothing to lose'

(Baonghean.vn) - Former player, coach, and commentator Dang Phuong Nam believes that coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team still have certain advantages at the upcoming U20 World Cup in Korea.

“We ourselves have to admit that our U20 Vietnam team is a good group of players, but the basic foundation of the players is not up to standard. Because our young players are trained from different training centers, and we also know that Vietnam's youth training still faces many problems.

Coach Dang Phuong Nam hopes that the U20 Vietnam players will maximize what they have. Photo: Trung Kien

At the U20 World Cup, the players we saw were Argentina, they were complete players. Complete in terms of physique, physique, fitness, technique and individual tactical thinking. That's why when they enter the field, they only play according to the football philosophy and style of play set by the coach. As for our players, it's clear that they need a lot of training.

I appreciate Coach Hoang Anh Tuan through his professional coaching courses, with his accurate perception and analysis. The first weakness that Coach Hoang Anh Tuan saw in the U20 Vietnam players was physical strength. Competing with strong and high-class opponents, we were inferior to our opponents in terms of physique, strength, and tactical thinking, and without physical strength, it was clear that we could not play. From there, Mr. Tuan raised the first problem that needed to be solved: physical strength.

Of course, when young players are at the club level, they practice differently, when they join the national team, they practice differently, there will be a difference, there will be some deviations, there will be some overloads, there will be some injuries... I think that up to this point, the U20 Vietnam coaching staff has made adjustments and our players have achieved the necessary physical condition. It may not reach the standards that coach Hoang Anh Tuan wants, but it almost guarantees that we are ready to enter the biggest game of the U20 world. I think that is important...

The second thing is that we have built a suitable playing style towards the World Cup arena. We cannot play an open game with opponents at a higher level and choosing a tight defensive counter-attacking style is completely suitable for the current time. And when entering the tournament, how this issue is developed depends on many other factors. So U20 Vietnam's physical and tactical preparation before the tournament is relatively good.

In the match against U20 Argentina, we are still testing the human aspect like the case of Thanh Thinh's left back, testing Van Hau in the central midfield position to replace Tien Dung who was injured. There are still some sloppy moves because the opponent is too strong, but I see that the players' intentions are very clear, the way of deploying attacks is also faster and improved. And U20 Vietnam has an important player in those attacks, Quang Hai.

Those are the things we can expect from U20 Vietnam. Of course, the U20 World Cup is an extremely large playground, a real challenge for our players. That is a pressure, but on the contrary, it will also be an advantage because we have nothing to lose. We have been so successful in reaching the finals and the problem now is just to play our best, with what we have. And we leave something behind in this tournament.

Vietnam U20 coaches prepare plans for matches at the World Cup. Photo: Internet

I just think about what we can learn from this tournament. There are so many lessons waiting for us and the Vietnam Football Federation in a playground like the U20 World Cup...

I think there is no group at the World Cup that is favorable or easy to play because the teams have reached the continental and world level. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's goal of reaching the next round is not wrong. When participating in a tournament, we must set goals, dreams and aspirations. Perhaps we should not think too much but focus on each match. I believe that the U20 Vietnam coaching staff and Mr. Jurgen Gede will know how to analyze the opponent, limit the opponent's strength and best promote the strength of the U20 Vietnam team."

Trung Kien (written)