The U22 Malaysia showdown: Opponent constantly receives reinforcements, adding more challenges for U22 Vietnam.

Ahead of the crucial match in Group B, the Malaysian U22 team received good news as Ubaidullah Shamsul, goalkeeper Haziq Mukhriz, and midfielder Izwan Yuslan rejoined their teammates. Among them, Ubaidullah's return was the most talked-about by Malaysian media and experts, with expectations that he would be a turning point in the big match between Malaysia U22 and Vietnam U22.

Malaysia U22 easily defeated Laos U22 4-1 in their opening match. It was a victory with little to say about it, as the "Malay Tigers" were only caught off guard in the first five minutes and conceded the first goal. After that, Malaysia U22 completely dominated the game, creating numerous opportunities and converting them into four goals.

There were still some flaws in U22 Malaysia's resounding victory. A prime example is the situation where U22 Malaysia conceded a goal; they were facing U22 Laos in a 5-on-3 situation. The U22 Malaysia defense made the first mistake with a failed offside trap. When the U22 Laos player broke through, center-back Aiman Hakimi was too far away to intercept the pass.

Then, Bounphaeng made a run and finished with a one-touch shot into the net against U22 Malaysia. The "Malay Tigers'" defense continued to make mistakes with a lax marking by center-back Moses Raj. The U22 Malaysia goalkeeper was also partly to blame for his slow judgment and reaction when the opponent's shot wasn't particularly powerful.

The U22 Malaysia team will be much stronger than they were in their victory against U22 Laos.

Against U22 Laos, U22 Malaysia played with a three-center-back system, consisting of Aiman Hakimi, Moses Raj, and Shapro Aysar Hadi (captain). Hakimi and Raj, both born in 2005, currently play for the Selangor youth team in the Malaysian league. These are two inexperienced players with little experience playing for their clubs or the Malaysian national teams at various levels.

Captain Aysar Hadi (born in 2003) has the highest level of skill and experience among the three central defenders facing U22 Laos. Hadi is currently on the books of Johor Darul Ta'zim II Club and is a familiar face in Malaysia's youth teams from U19 to U23.

The arrival of reinforcement Ubaidullah is expected to help the U22 Malaysia defense fill the gaps against the attacking power of U22 Vietnam. Ubaidullah (born in 2003) is a key player for Terengganu FC. This central defender has been called up to the national team and has played two matches for Malaysia.

The goalkeeper position for the U22 Malaysia team may change due to the presence of Haqiz Mukriz, a more experienced player compared to Sharani Zuhilmi, who was in goal against U22 Laos. Ultimately, the difference for U22 Malaysia when facing U22 Vietnam could come from the unknown quantity of Izwan Yuslan, one of the great hopes of the "Malay Tigers" midfield at the SEA Games 33, who has just rejoined the team after being allowed by his club to travel to Thailand.

According to the standings in Group B, U22 Vietnam and U22 Malaysia both have 3 points. U22 Malaysia has the advantage with a better goal difference (+3), so a draw would be enough to finish first in the group and secure a place in the final. If U22 Malaysia loses, they risk elimination as they compete for the best second-place spot with two other teams.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/dai-chien-u22-malaysia-doi-thu-lien-tuc-don-vien-binh-u22-viet-nam-them-thu-thach-post1803556.tpo