FIRST STEP

Coach Troussier worked with the Vietnam team in March. However, during that period, the French coach only trained the players for 4 days. His purpose was mainly to convey the philosophy, tactical requirements and highlight the differences in working methods compared to the time of Coach Park Hang-seo to the players. It was not until June that Mr. Troussier fully devoted himself to the Vietnam team.

Coach Troussier still prioritizes attacking play that emphasizes control. This is a school of football that contrasts with the defensive counter-attack model that Coach Park Hang-seo previously built. The Vietnamese team has achieved many memorable milestones on the foundation of "playing slowly, winning surely" that Mr. Park outlined, but the defeat in the 2020 and 2022 AFF Cups against the Thai team, or the 8 losses in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, showed the limits of this style of play. Change is inevitable, and the appearance of the U.22 Vietnam team at the 32nd SEA Games with a liberal, modern style of play has shown the idea that Coach Troussier wants to apply.

C VL EAGUE RESOURCES

Coach Troussier confirmed that he will renew the Vietnamese team according to the 60-40 formula. He will retain about 60% of the players regularly called up under Coach Park Hang-seo, but will change the remaining 40% of the squad with young players and new factors in the V-League. Regarding young players, the main force called up by the "White Witch" is the U.22 Vietnam team that just attended the 32nd SEA Games.

In the U.22 Vietnam squad, Duy Cuong, Tuan Tai, Van Cuong, Xuan Tien, Van Do are the rare players who have a place in the main squad in the V-League. Van Tung, the main striker who scored 5 goals at the 32nd SEA Games, has only played 2 matches in the V-League this season and scored the first goal in the match between Hanoi Club and Binh Duong Club yesterday afternoon (May 27). In the 2022 V-League, Van Tung played only 108 minutes. Similarly, the playing time of Van Chuan, Tien Long, Thai Son... are all limited. However, the initial success of Van Do (3 goals in the V-League after 4 matches) shows that if given the opportunity, the U.22 Vietnam stars can find a place.

In the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup ( Vietnam is exempted from the first qualifying round), the core players of the Vietnam national team under Park Hang-seo are likely to still play a leading role, but there is a clear differentiation. While the group of defensive players such as Van Lam, Van Hau, Duy Manh, Tien Dung, Tan Tai, Thanh Binh... play stably with a minimum of 500 minutes on the field in V-League 2023, the group of attacking players is having problems. Quang Hai has only played less than 30 minutes in the first team of Pau FC since returning from the AFF Cup 2022. Cong Phuong has only played 3 minutes for Yokohama FC, Van Toan has played in K-League 2 with 280 minutes after 7 matches but has not yet integrated into the playing style. Some strikers such as Duc Chinh, Tien Linh, Tuan Hai have played all 8 matches since the beginning of the tournament, but the number of goals can be counted on the fingers. Midfielders such as Van Duc, Van Quyet are either injured or suspended. This is a challenge for Mr. Troussier, because to change the philosophy, the focus of the Vietnamese team will be on the attack.

To find new players, Coach Troussier needs to "pave the sand for gold", find new faces in the V-League and the first division, with the number one criterion for selecting players being performance. That is the door that promises to open for all players. The V-League cycle, therefore, plays a very important role in the transformation journey of the Vietnamese team in the coming time.