Vietnam futsal coach speaks ahead of major clashes with Russia and Thailand

Coach Diego Giustozzi stated that the Vietnam futsal team needs to improve their resilience, psychology, and decision-making skills when competing against powerful teams such as Russia and Thailand in the forthcoming international friendly competition.

The Vietnam futsal team has gathered in Ho Chi Minh City, starting their preparation for the 2026 Continental Championship Friendly Tournament – Thailand. This is considered a particularly valuable test for coach Diego Giustozzi and his players, as the team will successively face Russia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and host Thailand.

Due to the short preparation time and many players suffering injuries, the Argentine coach has given opportunities to many new faces. According to him, the upcoming matches not only help the coaching staff assess professional abilities but also serve as a chance for young players to prove they can compete at the international level.

“We will face many strong opponents, but our mindset remains that of a team competing at the highest level in each match and striving to deliver a great performance,”Coach Diego Giustozzi shared.

Vietnam futsal needs to strengthen its mentality

According to the head coach of the Vietnam futsal team, the biggest issue for the players at present is not entirely technical. What the team needs to improve more strongly is mentality, self-confidence, and the ability to maintain fighting spirit when facing great pressure.

“The most important thing is that I want to instill in the players’ eyes and show them that they are capable of competing, capable of fighting against any strong opponent. To me, fighting spirit and competitive mentality are very important factors. We have not yet shown consistency in that aspect. I hope the players will mature in this tournament. We must also bring that spirit into every match to achieve better results” – Coach Diego Giustozzi shared.

The difficulty for the coaching staff is that the team only has four training sessions in three days before entering the tournament. The limited time makes it nearly impossible to build a complete tactical system. Therefore, Coach Diego Giustozzi focuses on improving individual thinking, decision-making ability, and some basic coordination schemes.

Giving opportunities to the younger generation

Coach Diego Giustozzi assessed that Vietnam futsal currently possesses many talented players. In each position, the team has at least three names capable of competing internationally. However, most young players still lack experience when facing teams with high speed and intensity.

Cases like Đa Hải, Ngọc Ánh, or Công Đại are considered a few young players who have had the chance to experience the international environment. The Argentine coach believes that clubs and the federation need to create more conditions for players to compete abroad, rather than only accumulating experience in domestic tournaments.

In the process of personnel management, the coaching staff plans to arrange young faces to play alongside experienced players. This arrangement helps them reduce pressure, adapt faster, and receive support during difficult times.

According to the schedule, Vietnam futsal will face Russia at 18:00 on August 1, New Zealand at 18:00 on August 2, Afghanistan at 20:30 on August 3, and conclude the tournament with a match against Thailand at 20:30 on August 5. This will be an important series of challenges for the team to assess capabilities, accumulate experience, and perfect the squad for bigger goals.