Is it easy to beat Indonesia convincingly?
(Baonghean.vn) - In a recent speech, coach Philippe Troussier affirmed that Vietnam's goal is not just to win, but also to win in a meaningful way. But will it be as easy as the French coach says?
First and foremost, it must be stated that the Gelaro Bung Karno stadium has never been an easy place for any team in Southeast Asia. The pressure from 80,000 spectators is always tremendous for any player on the field. Therefore, implementing the desired playing style at Gelaro Bung Karno is extremely difficult, especially the ball-possession-oriented style that coach Philippe Troussier is building for the Vietnamese national team.
As fans, we always want our team to play beautiful football and achieve victories. However, if beautiful football doesn't yield results, it may not necessarily bring joy to the fans.
In three encounters with Indonesia at various national team levels, coach Philippe Troussier has only managed one win (a penalty shootout victory in the U23 Southeast Asian Championship final) and suffered two defeats. This includes a 0-1 loss in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup, a defeat that eliminated the Vietnamese national team and ended an eight-year unbeaten streak against Indonesia. Clearly, the French coach's record against the Indonesian team is not good, a stark contrast to that of his predecessor, Park Hang-seo.
Of these three encounters with Indonesia, the most memorable match for coach Philippe Troussier's team was the 2-3 defeat in the semi-finals of the 32nd SEA Games. In that game, the Vietnam U23 team played with a man advantage but were too focused on attacking, ultimately conceding a goal in the final minutes.
Furthermore, the Vietnamese national team is missing some of its best players in this training camp. This includes the absence of goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, center-backs Que Ngoc Hai and Do Duy Manh, midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh, and striker Pham Tuan Hai... These are all key players in their respective positions and have a lot of experience in matches against Indonesia.
Therefore, in the upcoming match, even securing a point at the Gelaro Bung Karno stadium will be a difficult task for coach Philippe Troussier's team, let alone winning and winning convincingly. Thus, the French coach should take a realistic view of the upcoming match in order to devise the best strategies for the Vietnamese National Team.
The match between the Indonesian and Vietnamese national teams will take place at 8:30 PM on March 21st at the Gelaro Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia.