During the first training session of U22 Vietnam in Vung Tau, coach Philippe Troussier shared the team’s situation and talked about the goal at the upcoming SEA Games.
“All the upcoming competitors are very familiar in Southeast Asia, we’ve all had top performance in the region recently. Opponents will have their own ambitions, even championships and no match will be easy. U22 Thailand is the strongest team, but the goal of U22 Vietnam is to defend the championship” – the French strategist shared at the press conference taking place at Ba Ria – Vung Tau Stadium.
Vietnam U22 team starts to gather from today, and will wait until April 19 to have enough troops after the round in V.League closes. The reason why the whole team chose Vung Tau as a place to practice before the SEA Games was because of the similar climate conditions. Mr. Troussier continued: “Today U.22 Vietnam officially started preparing the final step for the 32nd SEA Games. The matches of U22 Vietnam in Cambodia all took place in hot weather, choosing a training environment in this is suitable.
In the past 3 weeks, about 80-90% of the players of the U22 Vietnam team have played in the V-League. This is very important for the preparation process before the 32nd SEA Games. During March, U22 Vietnam has 4 weeks of training in Hanoi and a friendly match at the Doha Cup. The team has been playing against the top teams in Asia and we have a preliminary assessment at this age. There are many tactical flaws, we will point out and improve the player’s ability.
Going to the Doha Cup is my goal, despite the unfavorable results. If you only play against domestic teams, you won’t have a good experience. After that, my students had a lot of confidence, so in the near future with rivals in the same region, only equal and no more, U.22 Vietnam players will play better.”
Evaluating the goals of the 32nd SEA Games and the situation of the force, coach Philippe Troussier said: “In addition to the professional factor, the tournament also has external conditions, even bias. Therefore, each match needs the highest concentration to overcome difficulties. The squad has 18 players and 2 goalkeepers, so I appreciate the versatility of the players. If not versatile, it is difficult to choose.
To reach the final, we have to play 6 matches, not to mention the suspension and the card. How to ensure the right personnel will be a very important job. I try to create as many tests as possible so that the players can play as many positions as possible.
Up to this point, I am satisfied with the unity and discipline of the students. I remember at least 6 players who attended the 31st SEA Games and they would command their teammates in difficult times. Victory is for those who perform the best on the field. If you want to win, you have to act, not just talk.”