Cong Vinh: 'Vietnam gained more than lost even though it lost to Japan'

According to former striker Le Cong Vinh, coach Philippe Troussier and his team reaped many positive things despite losing 2-4 to Japan in the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup.

Against Japan, who are in top form and have 20 players playing in Europe, Vietnam are expected to be defeated. In their last 10 matches, the Japanese team has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game - including a 4-1 friendly victory over Germany.

However, with a squad of many young players and a smooth ball control style, Coach Troussier's students entered the game confidently, kept the ball and coordinated well to limit the opponent's firepower. After conceding a goal in the 11th minute, Vietnam still responded fairly. In the 16th minute, from a corner kick, Do Hung Dung passed the ball to Dinh Bac who headed it back, tying the score at 1-1. About 17 minutes later, the team even took the lead thanks to a tap-in by Pham Tuan Hai.

However, under pressure from Asia's number one team, coach Philippe Troussier's team conceded two consecutive goals from the 45th minute to the third minute of injury time and fell behind 2-3 after the first half. In the second half, the team held on and only conceded one more goal in the 85th minute from Ayase Ueda's shot.

Dinh Bac celebrates the equalizer 1-1 with his teammates in the match against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Lam Thoa. — Dinh Bac celebrates the equalizer 1-1 with his teammates in the match against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: *Lam Thoa.*

Vietnam's first goal in this match reminded me of Cong Vinh's header that scored against Thailand, equalizing 2-2 in the second leg of the final, helping Vietnam win the 2008 AFF Cup. "Dinh Bac's goal was more beautiful than mine because it scored against Japan. It was a very difficult goal, but he did it," Cong Vinh told VnExpress .

The former Vietnam captain did not want to judge each individual because everyone tried their best, but said that the team has improved a lot compared to previous Asian Cups. "In the past, every time we met Japan, we played poorly and could not score. But this time is completely different," he said. "In addition to scoring against Japan, Vietnamese players also had times when they made their opponents sweat. Japan has made European teams tired, even winning against Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup and recently defeated Germany, Türkiye, Canada, Peru... in friendly matches. That shows that Vietnam scoring and losing 2-4 is a match that gained more than lost," Cong Vinh commented.

According to the former striker from Nghe An , in addition to the match result, Vietnam's playing style is worth noting, when they confidently kept the ball and coordinated well against a powerful opponent. "Coach Troussier's mark has been and is forming well, he has applied his philosophy to the players which is to control the ball tightly. There were situations where Vietnamese players kept the ball and escaped the pressure very well before the siege of Japanese players. Not every coach can apply that to players".

In this match, Coach Troussier continued to use many young players such as Dinh Bac, Tuan Tai, Thai Son, Minh Trong, Van Truong, Van Khang. According to Cong Vinh, these players are young, inexperienced, and it is their first time playing in the continental arena, but it is not a simple thing for them to be so mature and confident. He believes that Coach Troussier has instilled confidence and a clear playing style in the players so that they can understand and perform in a commendable manner.

Avoiding a heavy defeat to Japan, according to Cong Vinh, is a pivotal opportunity for Vietnam to "deal with" Indonesia in the second round of Group D on January 19. "In terms of spirit, every generation of Vietnamese players is giving their all. But clearly through the match with Japan, we have faith in the team's style of play. I think if we keep playing like this, Vietnam will beat Indonesia and then continue to be excited to get points against Iraq."

Duc Dong

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