THE "PERFECT SCORE" COMEBACK
The Vietnamese futsal team entered the 2024 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship amidst skepticism, both regarding its squad and playing style. In terms of personnel, coach Diego Raul Giustozzi was without key player Nguyen Minh Tri, and in the semi-final against Australia, captain Pham Duc Hoa was also absent. Many of the key players who helped Vietnam qualify for the World Cup twice (2016, 2021) had either declined in form or left the sport. Giustozzi's team's playing style was also a major question mark, as Vietnam was eliminated before reaching the World Cup finals with a loose defensive strategy and a hasty, ineffective attack.
The Vietnamese futsal team (right) played valiantly against Australia.
Therefore, from the first match until now, having overcome the semi-final hurdle, the Vietnamese futsal team has played with the spirit of... correcting mistakes as they arise. Their playing style remains unclear and constantly changes, adapting to the opponent. The same applies to personnel selection. Instead of fixing specific formations, Coach Giustozzi constantly rotates players. Through each match, the Vietnamese futsal team still reveals weaknesses, but that's not a problem. Because Coach Giustozzi has a team that may lack quality, but absolutely never loses in spirit.
Coach Giustozzi made appropriate tactical adjustments.
It was their tenacious spirit and unwavering determination that enabled the Vietnamese futsal team to overcome adversity. Nguyen Thinh Phat and his teammates withstood the pressure from Malaysia before delivering the "finishing blow," coming from behind to defeat Thailand, and then going on to beat Australia in the semi-finals. A poor start, moments of confusion, were quickly overcome by a surge of passion, leading the Vietnamese futsal team to break one milestone after another.
The image of Da Hai suffering pain after a dangerous foul by an opponent, then bravely getting up to continue playing and scoring, reflected the best qualities of the team that coach Giustozzi is building.
Every tactic and strategy requires a steely resolve to execute. Given the constantly changing dynamics, speed, and almost no breaks in futsal, players must maintain a very "cool" head to control the game. And as mentioned, the Vietnamese futsal team still has much to improve in terms of defensive organization, concentration, and opportunism. However, in terms of mental fortitude, Coach Giustozzi's players deserve a perfect 10.
The Vietnamese futsal team fought to the very end against Australia, refusing to give up even when their chances seemed slim. The ticket to the final is a reward for those who dared to believe and persevered to defend that belief.
FIGHTING A VERY STRONG OPPONENT IN THE FINAL
The Vietnamese futsal team has returned to the Southeast Asian finals for the first time in 12 years. Remarkably, during their peak period with two World Cup appearances, the Vietnamese futsal team went furthest than at a time when they were at their lowest point of disappointment. Therefore, the victory in Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand) is all the more valuable.
To overcome Indonesia in the final, the Vietnamese futsal team will have to continue to improve. To elaborate, yesterday, November 8th, in the second semi-final of the 2024 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship, the Indonesian futsal team won convincingly 5-1 against host Thailand, with a fast-paced and comprehensive style of play. Indonesia has defeated Thailand, Myanmar, Australia, and Cambodia all by very large margins. While the Vietnamese futsal team relies on offense to compensate for defensive weaknesses, Indonesia plays a balanced game, controlling the ball well, pressing, and attacking with high intensity.
Vietnam performed excellently.
Conversely, the Vietnamese defense revealed many problems with 4 goals conceded against Australia, many of which stemmed from moments of lapses in concentration in marking and tackling by fixo Nguyen Manh Dung and his teammates. The Vietnamese futsal team's flanks are stronger in attack than defense. So, in the final, how should Vietnam play to counter Indonesia? That's the problem Coach Giustozzi needs to solve in the next two days. With their attacking capabilities improving daily with diverse tactics from the flanks to the center, from combination play to long-range shots and free kicks, the Vietnamese futsal team has a strategy. Their attack, with 28 goals scored in 5 matches, will give Coach Giustozzi and his team confidence.
However, the most important factor remains the mental aspect. Only by playing with the same passion and enthusiasm as yesterday will the Vietnamese futsal team have a chance to advance to the final against Indonesia, where the pressure will be multiplied a thousandfold. On the threshold of history, let's hope the Vietnamese futsal team will maintain their belief and keep their feet firmly on the ground.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-thang-qua-cam-xuc-cua-doi-tuyen-futsal-viet-nam-quyet-gianh-ngoi-vo-dich-185241108215442062.htm
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