Coach Troussier lavishes praise on Carlo Ancelotti

Coach Philippe Troussier had a friendly meeting with his colleague Carlo Ancelotti in Japan.

Before the friendly match between Japan and Brazil, Philippe Troussier, former head coach of Vietnam's national team, spent a brief time interacting with Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently managing Brazil's national team.

The two shook hands and exchanged warm gestures, despite the difference in their current statuses. On his personal Instagram, Coach Troussier praised the tactics Ancelotti has developed with the Selecao, while also commending Japan’s performance against a much stronger opponent.

Specifically, the French strategist shared: "The first half was dominated by Brazil, as the South American team displayed maturity and superior technical skills, continuously pressing Japan.

However, the situation completely reversed after halftime. A defensive error, Minamino’s early opening goal, and especially Ito’s introduction transformed the Asian team’s entire approach. With precise passing and impressive vision, Ito became a major inspiration up front, contributing to both of the following goals.

Thanks to disciplined spirit, abundant energy, and an inspiring style of play, Japan mounted an impressive comeback, causing Brazil to lose sharpness and momentum in the final minutes."

During the 90 minutes at Ajinomoto Stadium, the South American side controlled most of the ball possession thanks to their world-class stars. This was reflected in 68% possession and two first-half goals by Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli.

However, everything dramatically changed in the second half when Japan showed a completely different face. The "Samurai Warriors" scored three consecutive goals by Minamino, Nakamura, and Ueda, sealing an emotional 3-2 comeback victory.

As for Philippe Troussier, Japan is not unfamiliar territory for him. The 70-year-old coach was appointed head coach of Japan in 1998 and quickly made his mark with disciplined and scientific training methods. Under his leadership, Japanese football achieved numerous successes: winning the Asian U20 Championship, finishing runner-up at the 1999 U20 World Cup, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and winning the Asian Cup the same year.

The highlight was when he helped the "Blue Samurai" advance past the group stage of the 2002 World Cup on home soil for the first time, before leaving the team and laying a solid foundation for Japanese football.

However, when coaching Vietnam from February 2023, his extensive experience did not bring similar success. The Vietnamese team performed poorly at the 2023 Asian Cup with three straight losses, including a disappointing defeat to Indonesia.

Afterwards, the "Golden Dragons" continued to lose to Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and exited early, leading to Coach Troussier’s departure from the team in March 2024.

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