A good sign: Coach Pau Marti Vicente (right) said all 26 of his players are pushing themselves hard to earn starting places. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The highly competitive spirit among the national football team players is giving coach Pau Marti Vicente a welcome selection headache before he decides on his first XI for the friendly against Laos in Bangkok today.
The Spaniard said all 26 of his players are pushing themselves hard to earn starting places for the match at the PAT Stadium, and that can only augur well for the Harimau Malaya.
“We’ve had two days of training in Malaysia, another two in Bangkok. We have 26 players jostling for positions, which is good for me to pick a competitive 11 against Laos,” he said.
For Vicente, he wants his charges to take the game seriously in terms of building confidence in playing away games after the 0-4 thrashing by New Zealand last month.
“This is a good opportunity for us to bounce back. We are upset after the 0-4 defeat to New Zealand. We want to make sure we play at a good level against the Laotians.
“We have a younger squad than the previous one. This is a good chance for the players to prove themselves.
“This match is also part of our preparations for the AFF Mitsubishi Cup. Apart from getting a good result, I’m also looking at the overall performance of the team and how they function as a unit.
“When you win, you feel much better but in football, you also need to have a clear style of play.”
Vicente added that he is looking to implement his game style, which is to build on former coach Kim Pan-gon’s aggressive approach with better possession play.
“I’ve been with the team for two months, which is short but we are trying a new approach and allowing players to build confidence. I hope it will come into full flow in these two friendly games.”
After the game against Laos, the team will play India in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, on Nov 18.
