Two victories over Indonesia and Japan helped Iraq quickly take the top spot in Group D to advance to the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup. Meanwhile, despite being eliminated, Coach Troussier still affirmed that he and his players will leave the tournament with their heads held high.
Entering the match, the Vietnamese team benefited greatly when Iraq kept most of their key players. The Vietnamese team made it difficult for their opponents by pushing up their formation early in the match. Joy appeared in the 17th minute, Iraq's central defender Zaid Tahseen clumsily kicked an own goal but after consulting VAR, the referee decided not to recognize the goal because Van Khang participated in the situation in an offside position.
It was not until the second half of the first half that Iraq gradually got into the rhythm of the game and had some counterattacks but did not pose any danger to goalkeeper Nguyen Filip. In the 42nd minute, the Vietnamese team found the opening goal. Van Khang put the ball into the penalty area for Viet Anh to fly and finish like a striker, leaving Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil helpless.
However, the turning point of the match came in the 45+4 minute when Van Khang received a second yellow card and left the field after a high tackle on an Iraqi player. The numerical advantage was quickly converted by the players from West Asia right from the start of the second half, Iraq immediately equalized 1-1. From a corner kick, Rebin Sulaka headed the ball into the Vietnamese net. This was a fairly easy goal as Sulaka was taller than Hung Dung.
In the following minutes, Coach Jesus Casas's players continued to pressure the Vietnamese team. As the game progressed, Coach Casas continuously sent key players like Aymen and Ibrahim onto the field to look for a goal. The Vietnamese team's resistance could only last until the 73rd minute. Aymen Hussein headed Iraq to take the lead 2-1. A goal that was predicted in advance, because Iraq had the advantage of more people and superior physique compared to Vietnam.
Vietnam continued to struggle under pressure from Iraq. Defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh fouled an Iraqi player in the penalty area, the referee consulted VAR and decided to award a penalty. But luckily for Vietnam, Aymen Hussein's shot hit the post and went wide.
The surprise happened in extra time. In a rare attacking situation, Nguyen Thanh Binh assisted Nguyen Quang Hai to score the equalizer for the Vietnamese team.
It seemed like the match would end with a score of 2-2, but in the last seconds, Minh Trong committed a foul in the penalty area and the Vietnamese team was awarded a penalty. Standing on the penalty spot for the second time, Aymen defeated Filip Nguyen to seal a 3-2 victory for the Iraqi team.
After the 2023 Asian Cup, Coach Troussier and his team will return to their clubs to train for the V-League, before regrouping for the next series of matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with the rematch against Indonesia on March 21 and March 26./.
Source link
Comment (0)