Vietnam U.23 officially won a ticket to the 2024 AFC U.23 Championship finals after a 1-0 victory over Yemen U.23 in the match on the evening of September 9 at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho).
Facing the crowded defense of U.23 Yemen, coach Philippe Troussier's students encountered many difficulties. However, Vi Hao's goal in the 84th minute helped U.23 Vietnam win the final match with the minimum score, thereby securing the top spot in Group C, earning a ticket to the 2024 AFC U.23 Championship finals one round early.
Bui Vi Hao headed the ball to score a precious goal for U.23 Vietnam.
Coach Troussier shared after the match: "I am satisfied because U.23 Vietnam completed the goal of winning a ticket to the 2024 U.23 Asian Finals. This is also a tournament that helps us aim for the Olympics. Winning 6 points, keeping a clean sheet, having a better head-to-head record than U.23 Yemen, U.23 Vietnam is sure to continue, so I am satisfied with the result.
As a head coach, I always urge the players to improve their abilities to achieve their goals in the future. In today's match, I am proud of the players' spirit. U.23 Yemen proactively defended in large numbers, looking for opportunities to counterattack directly to have opportunities. With the opponent retreating deep, U.23 Vietnam did not easily find space and create opportunities to attack. We made a difference from a set piece situation.
Throughout the match, U.23 Vietnam resisted counterattacks thanks to the players' good discipline, thus waiting for the right opportunity to deliver the finishing blow.
U.23 Vietnam played ineffectively in the first half when the opponent held them to a 0-0 draw. Coach Troussier said that the players were tense before the opportunity to win an early ticket to the next round.
Coach Troussier
"In the first half, U.23 Vietnam was a bit tense because they had the chance to advance early. The players made many mistakes in passing, there was no continuity in coordination, creating pressure on the defense. In the second half, we changed personnel and tactics. I replaced Ho Van Cuong because he was the "trump card" of U.23 Vietnam. I also replaced Duy Cuong because Ngoc Thang had received a yellow card earlier. Cuong's appearance created solidity for the defense. We were confident in counter-attacks, strengthening the foundation for the attack to play.
Then, it was Van Khang, Dinh Bac and Vi Hao's turn to enter the field. I always say that the main players will start the match, and the substitutes will play the role of finishing. For me, Vi Hao (the player who scored the only goal) is both the player who finishes and plays the role of finishing. We will continue to improve in the future."
Coach Troussier denied the view that U.23 Vietnam lost its uniqueness due to playing according to the plan: "What I want to impose on U.23 Vietnam is that the players must follow the playing style and deployment according to the pre-trained model.
Previously, U.23 Vietnam's goals were random or lucky situations. Currently, there are moments when we still need luck, but the way we play has become more modern. This is what I want the players to change their mindset to approach. I think we still need to improve the quality of players on the field. How to change decisions, connect more smoothly.
According to European football trends, about 95% of the time on the field will be spent on receiving and passing the ball. For teams like Man City, that number is 100%. There are matches where U.23 Vietnam only spends an average of 20% of the match time on the ball. The remaining 80% of the time is spent on disputes, unclear actions, fouls, penalties or corner kicks.
U.23 Vietnam overcomes difficulties
My current way of playing is to change the approach to the game, controlling the ball. It is not always easy to go down the field and penetrate the opponent's defense. After the previous match, I saw the Vietnamese press think that winning against U.23 Guam was a given. But today, U.23 Guam is not such a weak opponent. The reason U.23 Vietnam won against U.23 Guam is because we put them in a situation where they had to make mistakes. To smooth out the gameplay, U.23 Vietnam needs to strengthen the capacity of each player."
Coach Troussier also assessed the new factors of U.23 Vietnam: "I started the process of working and identifying talents since March. During the training session in June, for the first time I integrated the training of the national team and U.23 Vietnam. Then in October, we have 3 more matches within the framework of FIFA Days.
Currently, there are 10 to 15 players who can compete for a starting position in the Vietnam national team, as I have observed from their performance on the field over the past 6 months. The whole team needs to continue to improve and practice more."
Bui Vi Hao, the player voted the best of the match, shared: "When I scored, my whole team and I were overwhelmed with emotion, feeling very happy. U.23 Vietnam played resiliently, with 200% of our strength to dedicate the victory to the fans. The image of fans cheering in the rain further boosted the players' spirit. I would like to thank the fans for not being afraid of the rain and wind to support the team."
On the opposite side, coach Miroslav Soukup admitted the defeat of U.23 Yemen against host U.23 Vietnam with a better squad depth.
U.23 Vietnam needs to improve more
"We were unlucky, but U.23 Vietnam was stronger. They deserved this victory. U.23 Yemen had chances but could not take advantage of them. We know U.23 Vietnam is a strong team, but we also have tactics and calculations for this match. My players maintained their formation and intentions throughout the 90 minutes of play. The whole team created a few chances, but luck was not on their side. U.23 Vietnam players are of better quality. They deserve a ticket to the final round.
U.23 Yemen made mistakes and missed scoring opportunities. I think the team that scores first will have a higher chance of winning this match. U.23 Yemen had a chance, but let it slip away. Then, U.23 Vietnam seized the opportunity, they scored from a corner kick in the 86th minute. I hope U.23 Vietnam will win the final match, thereby gaining all 9 points to go to Qatar to participate in the U.23 Asian Cup finals."
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