On the night of October 10, Beijing time, a soccer feast will be staged at the Dalian Sports Center. Troussier's Vietnam team will face the Chinese men's soccer team, and a battle between the old and the new forces will begin. According to the Vietnamese media, the "white wizard" Troussier will offer a 3-4-1-2 formation to meet the challenge, compared with the lineup in the Park Heng-su era, a radical change.
Dating back to February 2022, the last time the two teams met, the Chinese men's soccer team beat Vietnam by a score of 1-3 at the My Thanh National Stadium. Since then, the Park Hang-su-coached team has shone at the Southeast Asian Football Championships, and now the baton has been passed to Troussier. Troussier has made drastic changes to the Vietnamese team since taking over, with new-generation players such as Phan Chun Thoi (22) coming to the fore, while mid-career players like Phan Van Duc (who scored in the Round of 12), Nguyen Thai Thanh (20), and Huu Van Cuong (20) have faded out of the starting lineup.
Recently, Vietnam won all three of their warm-up matches, including a narrow 1-0 win over Syria at home. On this international day, Troussier announced a 33-man roster, but before departing for China, Le Van Du, Huu Chinh Cai (who scored against the national football team in the Round of 12), Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Duc Phu, Nguyen Duc Dinh, and Tuan Van Hau (who was injured) were dropped, while youngster Vu Minh Trung filled in the left-back vacancy. According to Vietnamese media, Troussier will continue to use a 3-4-1-2 formation to face the Chinese men's soccer team in the match. The goal position will be held by Dang Van Linh, while the three center backs are Do Vi Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Gui Ngoc Hai. Huynh Van Cuong and Phan Chun Cai will be the left and right wingbacks, Do Hung Dung and Nguyen Hoang Duc will partner the double back, and Nguyen Quang Hai will play as an attacker looking for a breakthrough at any time. Here is the expected starting lineup for Vietnam (3-4-1-2): - Goalkeeper: Dang Van Lam - Goalkeeper: Dang Van Lam Defenders: Do Vi Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Kieu Ngoc Hai - Midfielders: Ho Van Cuong, Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Phan Chun Cai. - Front: Nguyen Quang Hai - Forward: Nguyen Chinh Linh, Pham Trinh Hai
