"The Japanese team showed instability, conceding goals from set pieces, but thanks to Minamino's brilliance, they won a hard-fought victory," DAZN commented on the match between Vietnam and Japan in the first match of Group D of the 2023 Asian Cup.
It was no surprise that Japan - the strongest team in Asia - won 4-2. However, the performance of the Vietnamese team also received much praise. Very few teams have scored 2 goals against Japan in a match - since 2021.
Vietnam team 2-4 Japan.
Football news site Gekisaka reported the match: "The Japanese team tried to create a rhythm with fierce pressing. The Vietnamese team used skillful techniques to control the ball. We have to praise the Vietnamese team's organized play. There were many positions where they could put pressure thanks to their ability to compete and their tenacity.
Nguyen Dinh Bac showed off his high technique and good speed. Vo Minh Trong also contributed to harassing Japan's right wing. Even when the Japanese team attacked, the Vietnamese players covered well with a defense of 5 defenders and did not let Japan show their full strength."
The Japanese team opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a goal by Takumi Minamino. However, the surprise happened when the Vietnamese team scored 2 goals to take the lead against their opponents. Dinh Bac and Pham Tuan Hai respectively put the ball into the net of the world's 17th ranked team.
The Vietnamese team played well against Japan. (Photo: Getty Images)
Sport Hochi wrote: "It's not that the Japanese team didn't play well, but that the Vietnamese team showed their strengths. The Vietnamese players handled the ball well and defended solidly. The five-man defense held their positions when the Japanese team wanted to attack from the flanks, so there were very few situations where the Japanese team attacked effectively from the wings."
The Vietnamese team showed great determination and maintained a good game against Japan. However, the opponent still showed superior class. They regained the lead in the first half with 2 goals a few minutes apart before the break by Minamino and Keito Nakamura. In the second half, Japan scored 1 more goal with Ayase Ueda to seal the 4-2 victory.
Minh Anh
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