Iraq coach holds press conference before match against Vietnam

Qatar Mr. Jesus Casas started the press conference at 3:00 p.m., providing information on preparations for the Vietnam match in the final round of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup.

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Coach Jesus Casas during Iraq's 3-1 win over Indonesia at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Lam Thoa

In the first two rounds, Iraq defeated Indonesia 3-1, then defeated championship candidate Japan with a score of 2-1. Coach Casas and his team will certainly top Group D, because they are superior in both points and head-to-head record - the secondary index that is considered first in case of needing to determine the position between teams with the same number of points.

Therefore, the match with Vietnam at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, January 24, is just a formality for Iraq. Coach Jesus Casas can completely change the personnel to preserve the strength of the pillars, avoid injuries, penalty cards, and prepare for the knockout match in the round of 16.

While Iraq secured a ticket to the next round, Vietnam was eliminated early, after losing to Japan 2-4 and Indonesia 0-1. The team also lost a number of players, as Le Pham Thanh Long received a red card and was absent from the final match of Group D, while the striker pair Pham Tuan Hai and Nguyen Van Tung were injured and were not sure if they would recover in time to play.

Iraq have faced Vietnam five times, and are unbeaten, with four wins and one draw. In their most recent encounter - in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in late November 2023, the West Asian representative defeated Vietnam 1-0 at My Dinh Stadium, thanks to a header from striker Mohanad Ali in injury time.

Lam Thoa

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