Junior Ndiaye - one of the four notable players of African origin in the UAE U23 team - Photo: AFC
In the group stage, while Vietnam U23 topped Group A with three wins out of three matches, UAE U23 finished second in Group B with one win, one draw, and one loss. Looking at the form of the two teams, it's easy to see that Vietnam U23 is making a more impressive impression. However, UAE U23 remains a very dangerous opponent for Coach Kim Sang Sik's team.
Strength, speed...
After three matches in the group stage, it's clear that the UAE U23 team is well-organized, with a scientific and fast-paced style of play. The UAE U23 coach, Marcelo Broli (from Uruguay), favors a 4-4-2 formation but tends to play deep, defensively, and counter-attacking.
This is probably the right choice based on the current personnel situation of the UAE U23 team. They don't have many players capable of dominating the midfield, but they do possess many players with impressive speed and finishing ability.
Based on that, the UAE U23 team has a good ability to transition between attacking and defensive phases. Four players of African origin – defenders Leonard Ameshimeku and Richard Akonnor, midfielder Solomon Sosu, and forward Junior Ndiaye – are central to the UAE U23 team's style of play. Solomon Sosu acts as a ball distributor, transitioning from defense to attack. Up front, forward Junior Ndiaye (Montpellier) is a top-class F1 car, ready to receive the ball, sprint, and score.
With this style of play, teams that try to dominate against the UAE U23 team are very vulnerable. This is also a point to note for Coach Kim Sang Sik's team. Accordingly, the Vietnam U23 team needs to be cautious, play solidly and calmly if they don't want to fall into the opponent's trap.
West Asian teams are known for their strength and physical prowess, but the UAE U23 team is even more formidable with a squad that includes many players of African descent. This gives the UAE U23 team a physical advantage over the Vietnam U23 team. Therefore, they will certainly want to push the Vietnam U23 team into a physical battle to wear down the fighting spirit of Coach Kim Sang Sik's players.
Graphics: M. TÁNH
...but wary of opponents who play technically.
Despite their strength, the UAE U23 team also revealed quite a few weaknesses. While focusing on defending with a large number of players in their own half, their defense was not truly solid.
The coordination between the central defenders and the full-backs wasn't very good. This allowed opponents like U23 Syria and Japan to constantly exploit the defense and create many scoring opportunities.
This is a suggestion for the Vietnamese U23 players, because Coach Kim Sing Sik's team excels at attacking down the flanks with many players possessing speed and technical skill. As mentioned above, the UAE U23 team is not afraid of physically strong teams but is wary of opponents who play technically.
Against a technically skilled and fluid Japanese team, the UAE U23 team appeared helpless and could only chase the ball desperately. This was also the reason why the UAE easily lost to Japan in the second match.
For the Vietnam U23 team, this would also be the most suitable option to neutralize their opponent. Certainly unable to compete physically, the Vietnam U23 team can only choose a technical, cohesive, and fluid style of play to confront the UAE U23 team.
Although they can't play like Japan, the Vietnam U23 team is still a weaker version. And that alone should make it difficult for the UAE U23 team to achieve a good result.
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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giai-u23-chau-a-2026-tuyen-u23-uae-rat-manh-me-20260115080658437.htm
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