Vietnam – Mongolia: Waiting for the first victory at Asiad 19

Facing an underdog opponent, Vietnam has a chance to win and take a big step forward on the journey to the knockout round of men's football at the Asian Games in China.

* Vietnam – Mongolia: 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 19, on VnExpress.

A victory created a smooth start, when coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team were the first team of the Vietnamese sports delegation to compete at the 19th Asiad. Three points also strengthened Vietnam's ability to be in the top 3 of Group B with two strong opponents, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Afghanistan and Syria's withdrawals on the eve of the 19th Asian Games have reduced the men's football competition to five groups of three teams instead of the original six. The competition for the four best third-place spots has therefore become easier.

Nham Manh Dung (number 17), born in 2000, is the second oldest player in the Vietnam Olympic team participating in the 19th Asiad. Photo: Lam Thoa

At the previous Asian Games, Vietnam made history by finishing fourth. Coach Park Hang-seo brought to Indonesia a squad of the best players from the 1995 to 1999 generation, along with three players who had or would later win the Vietnam Golden Ball: Nguyen Anh Duc, Nguyen Van Quyet and Do Hung Dung. The achievement was surprising, but it cannot be denied that the team at that time had the strength to succeed.

This time, Vietnam is called the Olympic team but can actually be called the U20 team with six older players, and no achievement goals. Goalkeeper Do Sy Huy, born in 1998, is the only player outside of the U24 team, although the Organizing Committee allows three. A two to three year age gap in youth football can make a difference, but the team considers it a psychological pressure that must be overcome in order to develop.

Coach Hoang Anh Tuan said Vietnam must not lose caution even though the opponent is weaker. What is more important to him is how much the home team's ball control has improved, instead of thinking too much about winning.

Mongolian Olympic team is strong in endurance and competitive ability. Photo: MFF

Ranked 183rd in the FIFA rankings, Mongolia has never been highly regarded in tournaments, and the 19th Asian Games is only their second appearance since 1998. Mongolia fielded a mostly new squad that failed to qualify for the U23 Asian Cup for the sixth consecutive time. They have only drawn and lost in 15 matches, including defeats against Southeast Asian representatives such as Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and most recently Cambodia.

To strengthen the squad, coach Ichiro Otsuka added two overage players, center back Purevdorj Bayartsengel (26 years old) and midfielder Khurelbaatar Tsend-Ayush (33 years old), along with three U24 players, Orkhon Munkh-Orgil, midfielder Tserenbat Baasanjav and Baljinnyam Batmunkh. However, a week of team formation is unlikely to make a significant change in playing style.

Asian Games men's football schedule today September 19

15:00 Vietnam - Mongolia Bahrain - Thailand North Korea - Taiwan

18:30 China - India Saudi Arabia - Iran Korea - Kuwait Indonesia - Kyrgyzstan

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