Does U23 Vietnam have a chance to win against U23 UAE?

Doha Cup 2023: Gặp U23 UAE, liệu U23 Việt Nam có cơ hội chiến thắng ?

U23 Vietnam revealed many limitations in the loss to Iraq. (Illustration photo: VnExpress)

This is an opponent that is rated higher than U23 Iraq - the team that won 3-0 against U23 Vietnam.

U23 UAE started the 2023 Doha Cup with a 1-0 victory over U23 Qatar. In that match, U23 UAE chose a defensive counter-attacking style of play. The home team U23 Qatar held the ball for 60%. This shows that U23 UAE has a flexible playing style. They can attack aggressively but are also ready to play defensively when needed.

In terms of strength, UAE is considered a football team that is currently rated higher than Iraq. The UAE's youth training system is also developed, so their U23 team cannot be underestimated in this tournament. Therefore, U23 Vietnam will face a team that is even stronger than U23 Iraq.

In the U23 UAE squad, there are two names in the attack line that need special attention. They are Ahmed Fawzi and Eissa Khalfan. Both of these players are not too tall. While Fawzi is only 1m70 tall, Khalfan is 1m83 tall. However, the common point of these two players is that they both have very fast speed and a strong physique. Therefore, Vietnam does not need to worry too much about high balls. However, speed racing or one-on-one disputes will be a huge challenge for Coach Troussier's team.

According to midfielder Nguyen Duc Viet, the French coach asked the U23 Vietnam players to play faster, show more enthusiasm and fighting spirit.

Duc Viet said that in the match against U23 Iraq, playing with one less player made it impossible for U23 Vietnam to follow the set tactics, and the ball deployment also encountered many difficulties.

During the training session on the evening of March 24 (local time), Coach Troussier continued to implement the familiar tactical training program but with more stringent requirements. The French coach was willing to stop the training session to explain in detail to the players so that they could skillfully operate the playing style that he was building for U23 Vietnam.

He also encouraged the whole team to be mentally relaxed for the match against U23 UAE at the U23 Doha Cup international tournament, and not to worry too much about the result of winning or losing.

Coach Philippe Trousser emphasized that the main goal of U23 Vietnam is SEA Games 32 and the U23 Doha Cup is only a stepping stone in the preparation process. The important thing is that the players have had the opportunity to compete with quality opponents, from which there will certainly be improvement and progress.