Thailand coach Gugiermo Arena said that after equalizing, his players lost focus, which is why they lost 1-4 to Vietnam in the opening match of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament this afternoon, August 20.
"Vietnam have many good players and are well-organized. We tried to make things difficult for our opponents. But after equalizing, the team lost focus. And so the game changed very quickly," said coach Arena after the 1-4 loss at Rayong.
Laos were underestimated, but started well at Rayong. They actively surrounded and fought fiercely, causing Vietnam to make many mistakes in passing. Even when they were behind from the 23rd minute, Coach Arena's team did not collapse, played on par with Vietnam and then equalized from the 52nd minute. Thipphachan kicked the rebound into an empty net after goalkeeper Van Chuan missed his punch.
Coach Gugiermo Arena admitted that Vietnam was stronger and deserved to win. Photo: Lam Thoa
But after equalizing, Laos lost control of the game. They pushed too high, leaving many gaps for Vietnam to attack. Coach Gugiermo Arena's team conceded three goals in a row after shots by Minh Quang in the 72nd minute, Xuan Tien in the 76th minute and Vi Hao in the 90th minute.
According to Coach Arena, the defeat against Vietnam was partly due to the fact that the Lao players were too young. "The Lao team is younger than Vietnam. My players lack experience. They should have focused and handled the situation faster. They cannot make such mistakes when facing Vietnam. But today, Vietnam deserved to win, they are stronger than us," the coach added.
Laos brought to Thailand a young force, with many U20 players. Vietnam did the same, using the U20 core. However, coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team still has some players with a lot of experience in the V-League such as Khuat Van Khang, Luong Duy Cuong or Dinh Xuan Tien...
Vietnam defeated Laos, opening the door to the semi-finals of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament. Photo: Lam Thoa
Before Vietnam, Laos tied 2-2 with the Philippines. They therefore have no chance to take the top spot because they have the last round off, while Vietnam plays the Philippines.
"We will continue to improve ourselves. My team needs matches against strong opponents like Vietnam to progress," coach Arena added.
Lam Thoa (from Rayong)
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