Two mountains in the way
Vietnam Olympic team ready for matches at ASIAD 19. Photo: VFF.
At 3pm on September 19, the Vietnam Olympic team under the leadership of coach Hoang Anh Tuan will play their opening match against the Mongolian Olympic team. This is the weakest opponent in Group B and of course the red team will aim to win all 3 points.
Experts believe that the above task is within reach of Khuat Van Khang and his teammates. However, even if they win, the Vietnam Olympic team still has a long way to go. Except for Mongolia, the two remaining opponents, the Iranian Olympic team and the Saudi Arabian Olympic team, are both very strong.
In addition to being at the top of Asia, these two football nations also regularly represent Asia in the World Cup. At the ASIAD alone, Iran has won the championship four times in 1974, 1990, 1998 and 2002. In addition, they finished second twice in 1951 and 1966; third once in 2006 and fourth once in 2010.
Saudi Arabia does not have the same track record at the ASIAD as Iran (1 third place, 1 fourth place), but football in this country is also a major force. According to statistics, the "Blue Eagles" have competed in the World Cup a total of 6 times and participated in the last 2 tournaments. Iran is of course not far behind when it has also participated in the world's largest playground 6 times, participating in the last 3 consecutive tournaments.
These statistics alone show the strength of the two West Asian teams. Furthermore, both Iran and Saudi Arabia showed great determination when coming to this year's Asian Games by bringing many national team players.
In terms of strength, the Vietnamese Olympic team is of course inferior to the two West Asian giants. In particular, under coach Hoang Anh Tuan, the players are mainly U20, following the direction of the VFF. Therefore, competing for one of the top two positions in the group and getting a direct ticket to the knockout round is extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, aiming for the top 4 third-placed teams with the best results is also risky. Because Mongolia is likely to finish at the bottom of the table, and the tournament has a group of 3 teams, so the results of the last-placed team will not be counted. This means that Mr. Tuan and his team will have to rely on the two matches with Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Potential for explosion
According to commentator Ngo Quang Tung, the Vietnam Olympic team will certainly face many difficulties but the chance to get a ticket to the next round is not completely absent: "Youth football always has errors and at certain times there will be opportunities for us. Ignoring the match against Mongolia because it is not counted as an achievement, the Vietnam Olympic team needs to have at least 1 point in the last two matches and minimize the number of goals conceded. In the past, the Vietnam Olympic team defeated Iran (ASIAD 2014) so we have the right to hope".
Vietnam Olympic competition schedule in Group B ASIAD 19
- 15:00 September 19: Vietnam - Mongolia.
- 18:30 September 21: Vietnam - Iran.
- 18:30 September 24: Vietnam - Saudi Arabia.
According to Mr. Tung, the goal of passing the group stage can be achieved, but it will be difficult for the Vietnam Olympic team to go further because the opponents are all very strong. However, the veteran commentator also noted that the 19th ASIAD is not a football tournament that Vietnam focuses on.
"We consider this a stepping stone to prepare personnel for the national team, so we don't care about results. The core is that players learn, compete and accumulate for the future," Mr. Tung analyzed.
But it is precisely because of the lack of pressure to achieve results that, according to Mr. Tung, can help the Vietnam Olympic team create something interesting: "This generation of players includes many new names, 19, 20 years old, but in return, there are many players who have fought in the V-League, the U23 Asian tournament, and played together for many years at the national team level.
They are led by a coach who knows how to motivate young players, so I believe the Vietnam Olympic team will show solidarity. With a relaxed spirit and youthful energy, who knows, they might make a difference."
Sharing the same opinion, expert Hoang Van Phuc said that if ASIAD 19 is considered a stepping stone for players to move towards the future, there is no need to focus on achievements. What needs to be concerned is how coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team will play.
"The interesting thing is that Mr. Tuan is building a playing style for this generation similar to the philosophy that Coach Troussier applied in the Vietnam national team, which is ball control and proactive attack. Therefore, the upcoming matches will be a necessary experience for the players on the journey to strive for the national team.
And in reality, there are also names that go to China and are more or less given opportunities to be on the national team. These people will of course accumulate practical experience for the next missions," Mr. Phuc assessed.
But the former Quang Nam coach also commented that this is not a reason to underestimate the Vietnam Olympic team: "The team has names that won the 2023 Southeast Asian Championship, plus a number of players who played well in the 2024 U23 Asian qualifiers. In particular, Van Khang, Tuan Tai, Thai Son... have all breathed the V-League atmosphere. Therefore, if they save and play with focus, I believe the Vietnam Olympic team will at least pass the group stage."
Source
Comment (0)