Nepal coach hurt by red card: 'We will play fair with Vietnam when we have 11 players, let's wait for the return leg'

Coach Matt Ross affirmed that Nepal's players tried very hard, but still played somewhat naively in the 1-3 defeat against the Vietnamese team.

Nepal coach: 'The red card was a turning point, we played naively'

The Nepal team played hard in the match against Vietnam in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (taking place on the evening of October 9 at Binh Duong Stadium), but still lost 1-3 overall.

The South Asian representative kept the score at 1-1 in the first half, however, Laken Limbu's red card in the 45+2 minute turned the situation upside down. The Vietnamese team took advantage of their man advantage to score 2 more goals in the second half by Xuan Manh and Van Vi, to win the match 3-1.

The Nepal team (blue shirt) lost but had a brave match.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

"First of all, I congratulate the Vietnamese team for winning this match. I also thank my players for their efforts. They reacted very well under pressure, when they were able to score the equalizer.

The turning point of this match was the red card. It is really difficult to play against an opponent like Vietnam in a 10 vs 11 situation. The Vietnamese team is very even-footed and classy, ​​from the goalkeeper to the striker. Meanwhile, the red card made Nepal lose its balance. We played a bit naively, like in the red card situation, the players were eager to dribble the ball. But with the tactics, I am satisfied," Nepal coach Matt Ross answered Thanh Nien Newspaper's question about the match assessment.

"Defensively, Nepal played very well throughout the match. We stopped the Vietnamese team, forcing them to find opportunities through long shots or crosses. The players played persistently and did not panic under pressure."

Explaining why he still wore a vest the whole match even though it was quite hot

Nepal will play Vietnam again in the fourth match on October 14 (at Thong Nhat Stadium). Having not scored any points after 3 matches, Matt Ross still believes Nepal can make an effort to change the situation.

"We will have to study more carefully before the rematch, learn from what happened (especially in set pieces) and accumulate experience. The Nepal team will prepare better for the next match in the next 4 days. The Nepal team will play on equal terms with the Vietnam team if they have enough players. The players themselves also need to learn more to develop their professional career," coach Matt Ross assessed.

The Nepalese strategist also shared about the act of taking notes in a notebook of observations after analyzing the Vietnamese team's training session before the match.

"This is a habit of coaches. Besides observing through video , I want to watch players practice directly to evaluate their strengths and playing habits," said coach Matt Ross.

The Australian coach also talked about his dressing habits when choosing to wear a suit for this match. "It was very hot, but with many fans and the media interested in the match, I chose to dress appropriately to respect my opponent."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-nepal-dau-vi-the-do-se-da-song-phang-voi-viet-nam-khi-du-11-nguoi-hay-doi-luot-ve-185251009212949453.htm