Making too many mistakes

U.22 Indonesia 3-2 U.22 Việt Nam: Mắc quá nhiều sai sót - Ảnh 1. — The Vietnamese U.22 players were under immense psychological pressure in the decisive match.

COSTLY LESSONS

Coach Philippe Troussier affirmed that he doesn't blame the Vietnam U22 team for their mistakes, and his task is to analyze them so that his young players understand the root causes and avoid repeating them. This is something he will have to do thoroughly, following two very serious defensive errors in the semi-final against Indonesia U22, which led to two goals conceded from throw-ins. In the 10th minute, the entire Vietnam U22 defense was motionless, with only Quang Thịnh missing the ball, allowing Komang Trisnanda to comfortably head the ball into Quan Văn Chuẩn's net from the 5.5-meter line. Then, in the 54th minute, Quan Văn Chuẩn misjudged Alif Rifai's throw-in, allowing Ferdinand's shot to deflect off an Indonesian U22 player, making the score 2-1. These are two mistakes that should not be made in such important matches. These startling moments once again highlight the lack of experience of the young Vietnam U22 players.

Thailand U.22 will face Indonesia U.22 in the final.

Thailand U22 defeated Myanmar U22 3-0 in the semi-finals of the men's football tournament at the 32nd SEA Games yesterday. The young "War Elephants" dominated possession but faced a physically strong and resilient Myanmar U22 team. However, with their superior players, Coach Issara Sritaro's team converted their advantage into goals from Teerasak Poeiphimai, Leon James, and Anan Yodsangwal. Thus, Thailand U22 will face Indonesia U22 in the final on May 16th at the Olympic Stadium, while Myanmar U22 will compete for the bronze medal against Vietnam U22 on the same day.

Central Highlands

But the problems in the first half for Vietnam U22 weren't limited to that. Our young players started slowly, unable to get the ball into Indonesia U22's penalty area. Even approaching the opponent's third of the field was extremely difficult due to the tight midfield and slow, uninspired ball circulation. Coach Indra Syafri's 4-2-3-1 formation, with its large number of midfielders, effectively locked down the midfield space. The early goal boosted their morale, leading to flexible passing and movement in all directions, forcing the midfield duo of Thai Son and Duc Phu to drop too deep.

In the most difficult moments, the left flank remained the source of hope for attacking play, thanks to the excellent connection between Tuan Tai and Minh Trong. From a corner kick, Duc Phu's cross to Van Tung's header that leveled the score at 1-1 was truly a desperate attempt to save the day from a set piece. This time, the U22 Indonesia defense was caught off guard and careless. And when Alif Rifai received a red card in the 60th minute, the opportunity once again opened up for U22 Vietnam.

FAILURE IS NECESSARY

Once again, luck was on Vietnam U22's side in the 2-2 equalizer, when Xuan Tien's shot led to a 2-2 own goal by defender Kaffa Arrizqi in the 79th minute. Before that, coach Philippe Troussier had gone all-in, bringing on Van Khang, Van Truong, and Xuan Tien to form a five-man attacking line alongside Van Tung and Van Do. Numerous opportunities were created as Indonesia U22 retreated into defense. But they were like tenacious fighters, patiently enduring blows while waiting for the opportune moment to deliver the finishing blow. Despite having two extra time periods to find a winning goal while playing with a man advantage, Vietnam U22 was too hasty and lacked composure in injury time. That haste, coupled with a touch of selfishness, cost them dearly, resulting in a goal conceded in the 90+7th minute when the indecisive defense, despite having more players, allowed Muslihuddin to score.

Coach Philippe Troussier: "I still have faith in the future of this generation of players."

After the match, coach Philippe Troussier shared: "Any player or member of the U22 Vietnam coaching staff is very disappointed with today's result. I think the players showed their character in difficult times, equalizing twice after falling behind. Of course, losing in the final minutes is very regrettable because after U22 Indonesia received a red card, we had many opportunities to finish the game. I can only say that our team is very young, mostly U20 players, so we lack the practical experience to make sound decisions in the final moments of the match. I always say we have to pay the price to learn from this. But regarding the style of play, I am satisfied with what the players did on the field; the whole team showed a clear change in their mindset. Football and sports have wins and losses, and I will not blame the players. But after today's match, I believe that this generation of players – contrary to what many people think – has great potential and in the future they can achieve even better results."

Both goals conceded from throw-ins were avoidable, as we had analyzed and prepared to counter this attacking tactic from the Indonesian U22 team before the match. I can only say it was due to a lack of concentration and experience, as the Vietnamese U22 team deployed 10 players in the penalty area. The players need time to improve their skills because many lack practical experience in the domestic professional league. Looking at it positively, these mistakes and the overall playing style can be improved."

Coach Troussier certainly has a lot of work to do with his players. But the bronze medal match is just around the corner, and this young team will need to prove their ability to bounce back from defeat, to live up to Coach Troussier's belief that "this generation is not bad at all and has a very promising future."

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