CHINA'S UNUSUAL APPROACH
China's U23 team reached the semi-finals of the U23 Asian Championship for the first time in history thanks to a solid defense (keeping 5 clean sheets in their last 6 matches). In most games, coach Antonio Puche's players chose to retreat into a defensive formation with a large number of players, making it impossible for opponents to approach the penalty area, and then waited for the right moment to strike.
However, in the semi-final match against Vietnam U23 on the evening of January 20th, China U23 displayed a different image. Still relying on a five-man defensive structure, Antonio's players no longer retreated in large numbers, but instead pressed aggressively in the midfield, while pushing high up the flanks to counter-attack. China U23 also played faster, calmly building up play to neutralize Vietnam U23's pressing and quickly moving the ball to the wings to launch attacks into the penalty area.
Vietnam's U23 team could not continue their dream of winning the championship and will compete for third place against South Korea on January 23rd.
Photo: Ted Tran
The confident and enthusiastic style of play from the Chinese U23 team made things difficult for the Vietnamese U23 team. Midfielder Xuan Bac was tightly marked by the opponents, preventing him from playing smoothly, which shifted the pressure of organizing attacks onto Van Khang (left) and Minh Phuc (right). However, the way the Chinese U23 team played showed that coach Antonio had thoroughly studied the Vietnamese U23 team's style of play to effectively block attacks on both flanks. Except for Van Khang's free kick which forced Li Hao to make a diving save, the Vietnamese U23 team did not really impose their usual attacking game.
Hieu Minh was injured.
Photo: Hanh An
The difficulties piled up for Vietnam U23 when key central defender Hieu Minh left the field in the 30th minute due to a knee injury. Without this crucial player in their central defensive trident, Vietnam U23 struggled to defend against the pressure from China U23. From the end of the first half, Peng Xiao and his teammates repeatedly launched long balls towards the inexperienced central defender Duc Anh. Despite this, coach Kim Sang-sik's team had no solution to counter it.
HARD
Without their tallest central defender, in a match against a taller team, the Vietnam U23 team conceded two goals in just five minutes. While Peng Xiao's opening goal in the 47th minute came from a poor aerial defense by the Vietnam U23 team (two players failed to prevent Peng Xiao from scoring), Xiang Yuwang's second goal replicated the "nightmare" that Coach Kim's players experienced in the SEA Games 33 final against Thailand U23. That was the disorganized formation, the loss of composure under pressure, leaving huge gaps in the midfield for the opponent to unleash shots that ripped through Trung Kien's net.
The Vietnam U23 team made an effort to rectify their mistakes. Coach Kim Sang-sik substituted center-back Duc Anh, realizing the young defender from Da Nang FC couldn't handle the pressure. Midfielders and forwards with a direct and bold playing style, such as Dinh Bac, Van Thuan, Thanh Nhan, and Quoc Viet, also came on to strengthen the attack. However, once they returned to their preferred defensive formation, the China U23 team erected a solid wall that even Uzbekistan, Australia, or Iraq couldn't penetrate. Their opponents constantly forced the Vietnam U23 team into one-on-one situations, and with their superior tackling ability, the China U23 team won.
Ly Duc received a red card.
Although the Vietnam U23 team avoided conceding a goal in the 75th minute due to a Chinese U23 player being offside when pressing Trung Kien, Ly Duc's red card narrowed the chances of a comeback for Kim Sang-sik's team. Despite their best efforts, it must be admitted that the Vietnam U23 team lost because their opponents played more tightly, intelligently, and knew how to choose the right moments to attack. The goal conceded in the 90+8 minute sealed the match with a 0-3 scoreline, as the entire team was exhausted.
Despite being eliminated in the semi-finals, the Vietnam U23 team had a great tournament. The players confidently deployed their tactics, boldly imposing their game against stronger opponents, and displayed unwavering determination and resilience. A disappointing match against China U23 cannot erase the efforts of Coach Kim Sang-sik's team, because ultimately, in football, winning and losing are commonplace. Now it's time for the Vietnam U23 team to regain their spirits and focus on the third-place match against South Korea U23, which will take place at 10 PM on January 23rd.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-chiu-dau-de-truong-thanh-185260121011015632.htm
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