Vietnam National Team: 'Alarm' for the attack, what chance for Van Quyet?
Van Quyet was called back to the Vietnam national team by coach Philippe Troussier, but the opportunity for the Hanoi FC striker to play in the two matches against the Philippines and Iraq is a question mark.
During the training session to prepare for the two matches against the Philippines and Iraq in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, Van Quyet was one of the veterans called back to the Vietnam team by coach Philippe Troussier.
Previously, the Hanoi FC striker was called up to the Vietnam national team during the FIFA Days in September (for a friendly match with Palestine at Thien Truong, Nam Dinh), but was not used by coach Troussier for a single minute.
In the last October training session of the Vietnamese team, Van Quyet was not on the list. Many opinions said that coach Philippe Troussier did not like the type of player like him. The striker born in 1991 seemed not to be suitable for the ball control style that Mr. Troussier built for the Vietnamese team.
However, the French strategist's choices in the forward line have not met expectations. The Vietnamese team did not score any goals in the 3 friendly matches in October. Tien Linh, Tuan Hai, Van Toan... were stuck and "silent".
In fact, because the Vietnamese team faced strong opponents, the strikers were in a "ball-starved" state. But the worry about an ineffective and unsharp attack is well-founded.
In this training session, coach Philippe Troussier called 7 strikers including Van Quyet, Tuan Hai, Van Tung, Van Toan, Tien Linh, Thanh Nhan and Dinh Bac. In addition, Hoang Duc can also be placed in the center forward position as in recent matches of the Vietnam team.
Most of the above players are not in good form in V-League 2023/2024, notably Tien Linh had to sit on the bench in Binh Duong's latest match, while Dinh Bac was not even registered in Quang Nam's competition list.
Coach Troussier will likely drop 2-3 strikers, and those who are out of form or inexperienced are at high risk of having to return to the club.
The World Cup qualifiers are fierce, so coach Troussier's choices are carefully considered and rigorous. The French coach has run out of time to experiment and the next two matches are real battles, there is no room for risk.
Returning to Van Quyet's story, whether this striker will be used by coach Philippe Troussier or not is still a question mark, because his playing style must change somewhat in the national team.
But now Mr. Troussier needs a more drastic decision when the previous experiments have not yielded satisfactory results. In the context of the Vietnamese team being rejuvenated, the guidance of the seniors is extremely necessary.
If Mr. Troussier and the Hanoi FC striker can find common ground to make harmonious adjustments, an experienced player who has never lost his desire to contribute like Van Quyet is still needed for the Vietnam team./.
