U.23 Vietnam is strong enough to defeat Korea to win the Panda Cup

U.23 Vietnam has 2 days of training to analyze and study their playing style, before entering the decisive match against U.23 Korea at the China friendly tournament - Panda Cup, at 2:30 p.m. on November 18.

FAILURE… PRAISEABLE

Although losing 0-1 to U.23 Uzbekistan, U.23 Vietnam gained more than they lost. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team had the chance to experience top-notch Asian football control to know where they stand and what they need to improve.

U.23 Vietnam (right) is capable of decoding U.23 Korea

Photo: VFF

Despite being overwhelmed in the first half when the opponent pushed up their formation to press fiercely, covering the middle, forcing U.23 Vietnam to deploy the ball on the wing, Dinh Bac and his teammates were not confused. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh's students persistently maintained a reasonable formation distance to prioritize defense, keeping the game safe.

When U.23 Uzbekistan reduced the intensity of pressure in the second half, U.23 Vietnam took advantage of the opportunity to rise up. Under pressure from a strong opponent, Mr. Vinh and his team still had rhythmic, precise and intentional moves, especially on the left flank. U.23 Vietnam's tactics were coherent and clear, unwavering even though the formation structure was sometimes broken because the opponent played disciplined and tightly.

Ngoc My’s shot that hit the crossbar in extra time, or Dinh Bac’s shots that were just a little lacking in danger… may have made many fans regretful. However, that was only a regret when a point slipped out of reach. As for the playing style and spirit, as Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh himself commented, U.23 Vietnam had a commendable match.

Although Uzbekistan brought a very new generation of players (to train for the 2028 Olympic target), for U.23 Vietnam, this was only the 9th match that this generation of players played together, in which most of the players rarely played for their clubs or the Vietnam national team. U.23 Vietnam is improving every day, learning through each match.

In both defense and attack, U.23 Vietnam has defined its playing style. The defensive block with Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh and Ly Duc increasingly understands each other, covers well, and reduces individual errors. And on the offensive line, in a match where all high balls were blocked by U.23 Uzbekistan, the young Vietnamese players still had smart passes and passes. Only finishing is still a problem for U.23 Vietnam to solve. Remember, when facing U.23 Korea, there will not be many opportunities for the strikers to waste.

U.23 Vietnam and Korea to fight

Whether U.23 Korea is strong or weak, it is probably difficult to answer if looking at the first 2 matches. The Korean team won with overwhelming force against U.23 Uzbekistan (2-0), but then made a mistake, losing 0-2 to U.23 China (while the home team lost to U.23 Vietnam in the opening match).

That is not unusual in youth football. In football teams that use U.20 and U.21 players as the backbone of the U.23 team like Korea or Uzbekistan, the instability is much higher.

The last time they met in an official tournament, U.23 Vietnam drew 1-1 with U.23 Korea (2022 AFC U23 Championship). Earlier this year, also at a friendly tournament in China, U.23 Vietnam led 1-0 against U.23 Korea until the last minute, before regretfully losing the victory.

That said, Korea is not the "bogeyman" of Vietnam in the youth tournament. U.23 Korea is a combination of the two opponents that U.23 Vietnam has faced in this tournament, when they can play long balls, compete with strength and muscle directly like U.23 China, and at the same time have the ability to pass like U.23 Uzbekistan. However, the young team of the kimchi country often has gaps in defense, has difficulty in taking advantage of opportunities, and is not yet smooth enough to completely overwhelm the opponent.

Overall, U.23 Vietnam will have a difficult match. However, with the strengths shown, it can be believed that coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team and U.23 Korea are on par on the scale.

Key players like Van Truong and Dinh Bac even faced off against Japan and Iraq in the 2023 Asian Cup, going through many difficulties to have the courage to face the big mountain. U.23 Vietnam is capable of winning this intense battle of intelligence and physical strength. Whether they win or not, U.23 Vietnam will have a useful lesson to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-du-suc-danh-bai-han-quoc-de-vo-dich-panda-cup-185251116215741594.htm