Striker Van Toan: 'The Vietnamese team needs to win to regain the trust of fans'
Sharing before the second training session of the Vietnam National Team, striker Van Toan said that he and his teammates are determined to win to regain the trust of the fans.
On the afternoon of June 2, the Vietnam National Team entered the second training session to prepare for the match with the Philippines National Team, in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Before the training session, striker Nguyen Van Toan shared with the media:
"The coach was new so the players were a bit shy, but by the end of the session they got used to it and were very happy with the atmosphere coach Kim Sang-sik created.
I haven't worked with coach Kim Sang-sik much, I don't understand everything, but I have watched him coach. I see coach Kim brings new things to the Vietnam team. The head coach is very close, tries to integrate with the players, creating a comfortable atmosphere for everyone," Van Toan shared.
In this training session, the Vietnamese team has 27 players. Thus, 4 players will be eliminated before the match against the Philippines on June 6. Van Toan affirmed that the competition in the team forces everyone to try their best to get an official position, trying for the national team's achievements.
In the first leg, Van Toan and Dinh Bac were the two players who scored against the Philippines. The striker of Nam Dinh Club assessed the opponent: "The Philippines changed their personnel, had many naturalized players, but that was their transition process. We focused on ourselves, getting used to the coach's new philosophy. The goal, as coach Kim said, is that the players must play for victory. For a long time, the Vietnamese team has not achieved good results."
Regarding himself, Van Toan expressed his determination: "In the upcoming matches, I will try my best. I do not pay attention to personal feelings, because the Vietnamese team has a few days to prepare for the next two matches.
Of course, the Vietnamese team cannot change its philosophy quickly, but we show the best spirit and aim for the best results. The Vietnamese team needs to win to regain confidence in itself and the fans."
Van Toan and his teammates will have 5 days of training, including 4 days of training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center (Hanoi) and 1 day of getting used to My Dinh Stadium, right before the competition.