Coach Philippe Troussier: 'Vietnam does not lack strikers'

Park Hang Seo once said that the Vietnamese team lacked good strikers because the V-League clubs used foreign players. However, Mr. Troussier said that this is a common problem for many teams in Asia.

Philippe Troussier said: “All teams in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and around the world have similar problems. Trust me, it is not only in Vietnam. Playing with foreigners is not easy. But the problem that worries me is not the lack of strikers but the fact that the players are not playing regularly. We are not short of strikers.

Notably, U19 Hanoi’s Nguyen Van Tung has a high level but cannot play in the V.League. People say I don't have many U19 players playing in V.League teams? This is the case. I think the problem lies in the coaches. They think the U19 players are too young to play professionally. Vietnamese coaches are the same."

Since taking the captain's seat of the Vietnamese team, Park Hang-seo has revived Anh Duc with the peak of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 championship. After this veteran striker bid farewell to the Vietnam national team, Tien Linh has emergedto become the No. 1 candidate to inherit the position of the elder. The 23-year-old has done a great job, shining brilliantly against the UAE in the 2022 World Cup qualifier.

Park Hang Seo also frequently uses Cong Phuong to compete highest in the attack. But the play of the Nghe An-born striker is completely different from Tien Linh. Cong Phuong will promote his best ability when playing alongside a good striker.

In V-League, besides Becamex Binh Duong and SLNA, the rest of the clubs use foreign strikers in attack. Some players who play as key strikers at V-League clubs are Ha Minh Tuan (Quang Nam), Tuan Tai (SLNA), Duc Chinh (SHB.ĐN), Tien Linh (B.BD), Xuan Nam (Ho Chi Minh City). However, only Ha Minh Tuan, Tuan Tai and Tien Linh have regular matches.