Ton Duc Thang University needs a 'secret weapon' to beat the Lao University team

Opportunities for Ton Duc Thang University team

The 1-3 loss to Life University (Cambodia) showed the limitations of Ton Duc Thang University in the 2025 International Student Youth Football Tournament - THACO Cup.

Coach Nguyen Dinh Long has a squad of inexperienced players, mostly in their first and second years. Phan Hoai Nam and his teammates also do not have outstanding points in terms of ball control, attack coordination or physical strength.

Ton Duc Thang University team needs at least 1 point to enter the semi-finals.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

In the defeat against Life University, Ton Duc Thang University played well in the first half, when the opponent was not yet familiar with the playing conditions and the size of the field. However, when the Cambodian representative began to find their rhythm, order was restored. Life University's team completely controlled the match, breaking down the opponent's defense with smooth, skillful passes in tight spaces. The score of 1-3 for the away team accurately reflected the situation.

However, the 0-2 loss of Lao University to Life University opened a turning point for Ton Duc Thang University. If they do not lose to Lao University in the final round, coach Nguyen Dinh Long and his team will enter the semi-finals.

In contrast to the strong cohesion of Life University, with players practicing together every day and being trained according to the Korean school football model, the players of Lao University lack connection and coherence in their playing style.

The Lao players were gathered from four different universities and only had a chance to practice on the last day. Compared to other teams that have played together for at least 1 or 2 years, the Lao University played disjointedly. The players had too little time to play together, leading to an inability to develop a coherent style of play. No matter how good the players are, if they lack a common voice, it will be difficult to achieve anything.

Facing an opponent with less superior ability, Ton Duc Thang University team still has a chance to enter the semi-finals of the 2025 International Youth Student Football Tournament.

The Host's Weapon

Ton Duc Thang University only needs to draw with Lao University to get a ticket to the semi-finals. However, playing with the mindset of "a draw is enough" is always a double-edged sword.

Coach Nguyen Dinh Long himself affirmed that the only goal of Ton Duc Thang University is to go out on the field to seek victory. Study hard and play hard.

Ton Duc Thang University determined to go further

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

After losing 1-3 to Life University, Ton Duc Thang University held a team meeting to learn from experience. Lack of physical strength, lack of concentration in defense, monotonous attacks... were the reasons why Ton Duc Thang University team did not play as expected.

Ton Duc Thang University players watched the match between Life University and Lao University (taking place on the afternoon of March 24) to better understand their opponents. The weaknesses of Lao University were clearly pointed out, which were a disjointed attack and a defense that was poor at defending against high balls.

On the other hand, Ton Duc Thang University team played very well in the air with 4 out of 5 goals scored in the final round of the 3rd Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - 2025 THACO Cup coming from headers.

Facing an opponent with a low defense (about 1.7 to 1.75 m) like Lao University, the home team's good headers will have a chance to perform.

The important thing is whether Ton Duc Thang University can coordinate well enough to find opportunities to cross the ball or not. In yesterday's match (March 24), Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism limited the crosses of Nanyang Technological University (from Singapore) to the maximum, by blocking both sides and tackling aggressively, making it difficult for the opponent to jump high to head the ball despite their superior physique.

Ton Duc Thang University needs to play well to reach the semi-finals and regain the trust of fans.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truong-dh-ton-duc-thang-can-bai-tu-de-thang-doi-truong-dh-lao-185250325152416237.htm