Coach Troussier: 'Vietnam leaves Asian Cup 2023 with a good image'

Qatar coach Philippe Troussier was satisfied with the spirit and playing style of his players even though Vietnam lost 2-3 to Iraq in the final round of Group D and left the 2023 Asian Cup empty-handed.

"The defeat was an unfortunate result, but I am very satisfied with what the players showed. Even though the team was eliminated, I still asked the players to play their best, for the country's flag and consider this as a preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March. And they did it, playing according to the philosophy we pursue, confident and keeping their spirits up until the last minutes," Mr. Troussier said at a press conference after the match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

After two defeats to Japan and Indonesia, Vietnam had lost all hope of advancing, but still showed great determination when facing Iraq. The team confidently pursued a controlling style of play and had many good combinations. One of those combinations caused Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen to score an own goal in the 17th minute. Despite VAR intervention, canceling the goal due to Khuat Van Khang's offside, Vietnam still played with confidence, and was rewarded with the opening goal in the 42nd minute. Van Khang's free kick was placed by Bui Hoang Viet Anh, who connected with a one-touch goal.

Coach Troussier in the Vietnam - Iraq match in the final round of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Photo: Lam Thoa — Coach Troussier in the Vietnam - Iraq match in the final round of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Photo: *Lam Thoa*

However, the first half did not end perfectly for Troussier's students, when Van Khang received a second yellow card for an unnecessary foul in the fourth minute of injury time. Before that, this 21-year-old midfielder received a yellow card in the sixth minute for diving.

Coach Troussier was not satisfied with the decision to give Van Khang a second yellow card. He said: "Both players jumped up and collided. Khang did not intend to commit a foul, he was just trying to fight for the ball. But the referee gave us a card, so we had to accept it. Being short-handed, it was difficult for us to play. Perhaps Van Khang's red card was the turning point, leading to today's unsatisfactory result."

In a 10-on-11 situation, Vietnam was at a disadvantage early in the second half, allowing Iraq to turn the situation around with goals to equalize 1-1 and then increase the score to 2-1, thanks to Rebin Sulaka in the 48th minute and Aymen Hussein in the 73rd minute. In the first injury time of the second half, Vietnam unexpectedly equalized 2-2 with a goal by Nguyen Quang Hai. But Iraq still took all three points thanks to Hussein's penalty in the 12th injury time, after Minh Trong fouled the opponent's keeper.

"Vietnam played very well in the first half, very proactive. In the second half, the team still maintained their organization, played disciplined when they were short-handed and had to play defensively for nearly an hour. Of course, we still had to pay the price for mistakes, but looking at the positive side, the team was always proactive in finding and exploiting even the smallest opportunities to score another goal," added coach Troussier.

The French coach does not consider the team receiving an indirect red card and two penalties today as a sign of a disciplinary problem that needs to be corrected before the next matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. According to coach Troussier, although they have better met his requirements for high-intensity playing time, his students can only play well for about 60 minutes in a top-level tournament like the Asian Cup. He added: "When players are tired, their concentration and accuracy in handling each situation are also affected, and the two fouls that led to penalties at the end of the match are an example. But that is also a lesson for them to motivate themselves and try better in the future."

Main events of the match Iraq 3-2 Vietnam.

The 2-3 loss saw Vietnam exit the 2023 Asian Cup empty-handed right from the group stage. The French coach admitted that Vietnam did not achieve their goal of advancing from the group stage, but considered this result somewhat unlucky because the team was in the same group with Iraq and Japan - two of the continent's top teams. "This was a difficult group, but in the end, I think the team left the tournament with a good and positive image," he added.

According to Coach Troussier, after nearly a year of his work, whether the team wins or loses, and receives many mixed opinions, Vietnam is still trying to improve. He takes responsibility for all results, but hopes that fans will patiently wait for the matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March and June to see and evaluate more clearly the team's progress.

Lam Thoa

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