Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc: 'Vietnam Women's National Team Determined to Reclaim SEA Games Gold Medal'

Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc has just taken over the "hot seat" of the Vietnam women's national team. A new journey for the Vietnam women's team begins with high expectations, propelled by their qualification for the 2023 World Cup and their status as the top team in Southeast Asia. However, hidden behind that immense legacy are many challenges, according to the new head coach of the Vietnam women's national team, Hoàng Văn Phúc.

I am always open-minded and confident that I will adapt to the women's football environment.

* Sports & Culture: Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc, from your perspective, inheriting such a massive legacy with consecutive SEA Games gold medals and a World Cup ticket from your predecessor Mai Đức Chung is a convenience or a significant pressure?

- Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc: After over 15 years of building, the achievements and legacy left by Coach Mai Đức Chung are substantial. Most recently, the Vietnam women's national team has won four consecutive SEA Games championships, culminating in securing a ticket to the Women's World Cup.

When I was assigned the task of inheriting this, there are certainly certain advantages. The squad foundation has been established, many players are accustomed to major matches, having experienced top-level tournaments in the region and the world.

However, alongside that, there are also many difficulties. After a long journey of success, many players have reached their peak, some have won numerous titles, even multiple SEA Games championships. Maintaining their motivation to compete is not a simple matter.

Additionally, some older players have passed their peak period or retired, necessitating the search and development of a successor generation. This is indeed pressure, but also motivation for the coaching staff to work harder.

During over a year participating in the women's national team coaching staff, based on my observation and perception, I am pleased that many players, even over 30 years old, still maintain their desire to contribute. That is an important foundation for the team to maintain performance during the transition period.

* You have been a coach closely associated with men's football from clubs to national youth teams for most of your coaching career. So, what is the key point in coaching methods that you believe can quickly adapt to the players in the women's national team?

- Honestly, when accepting the offer to lead the women's national team, it was a major challenge. However, I have nearly 30 years of coaching experience at various levels, from national youth teams to professional clubs playing in V-League. Fundamentally, football has common principles in coaching and team organization for long-term or short-term periods, such as preparing for a season, a week, or daily.

The important thing is openness and adaptability. Even though I am over 60 years old, I always learn, update new methods to convey and apply them scientifically and appropriately. I believe that with the perseverance, training desire, and competitive spirit of Vietnamese women's football players, they can fully absorb training exercises well, while continuing to enhance their professional abilities and leverage existing achievements to aim for higher goals.

Hope the women's national team soon has Vietnamese overseas players.

* The women's national team is in a generational transition phase. Many pillars of the golden generation who participated in the World Cup, notably Huỳnh Như, are on the other side of their career slope, and Tuyết Dung has also bid farewell. Can you share about the plan for building the women's national team squad in the near future?

- On one hand, I will maintain the good foundations built by Coach Mai Đức Chung; on the other hand, there will be innovations in personnel. Soon, the National Cup tournament with the participation of 6 clubs will take place, followed by the National Championship with a two-round league format. Through these tournaments, the coaching staff will monitor and seek additional new talents.

We will continue to maintain the foundation built by the previous generation, while gradually renewing the squad. In the near future, through domestic tournaments, especially the national championship, the coaching staff will closely monitor to discover new talents to supplement the national team.

Through the monitoring process, I observe that even though there are players in their 30s, if their fitness, form, and desire to contribute remain, the door to the national team is always open. Meanwhile, searching for other talents to bring a fresh breeze still needs to be done concurrently.

* Regarding the squad for the women's national team, besides young players needing nurturing and conditions to develop talent, Vietnamese overseas players are also considered a very necessary resource, as seen in the men's football national team. What is your view on this issue?

- This is a general trend in modern football. Men's football has applied it and achieved certain effectiveness with cases like Xuân Son or Hoàng Hên, women's football is also heading towards this. We have had ideas and reported to the VFF Standing Committee and have also received support.

Currently, Thai Nguyen Women's Football Club has also implemented a plan to seek Vietnamese overseas player resources, and new talents may emerge. However, importantly, these players need to meet professional and legal requirements, ensuring compliance with regulations. Personally, I also hope that Vietnamese overseas players will soon play for the Vietnam women's national team.

"Recovering" the SEA Games Gold Medal

* Regarding the playing style of the women's national team, it seems there are many difficulties both in time and personnel for a reconstruction, but Coach Hoàng Văn Phúc will make adjustments suitable for the personnel. Can you share how you view this?

- Besides inheriting old values, adjusting to fit new trends is extremely necessary. Currently, football in the region and Asia is developing very rapidly; I give an example within Southeast Asia, Philippines is a team with very fast progress in professionalism.

With many naturalized players playing abroad having significant advantages in physique and stamina, Philippines has brought additional challenges for the Vietnam women's national team. Speaking a bit about professionalism, to counter the wing attack style, using long passes, high balls of Philippines, how should we prepare?

Overall, research is needed to grasp the strengths and weaknesses of opponents to build countermeasures depending on each tournament. Fundamentally, good physical fitness foundation is needed, then technique, especially tactical preparation and competitive psychology to confidently engage.

From my perspective, if the players in the women's national team can leverage their advantages and exploit opponents' weaknesses, they can still achieve good results, immediately at ASIAD 20 and then aiming for the goal of "recovering" the SEA Games 34 gold medal.

* Thank you!