U.23 Vietnam is increasingly brave: Continue to attack U.23 Uzbekistan, why not?

The 1-0 victory over U.23 China brought great morale encouragement to U.23 Vietnam, in the context that acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team played and learned from each match.

U.23 Vietnam is bold and stubborn

"Previously, U.23 Vietnam was often caught up in the opponent's rhythm. Now, the whole team proactively surrounded, maintained the formation distance and knew how to control the game with reasonable rotations," said acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, summarizing the 1-0 victory of U.23 Vietnam against host U.23 China, which took place on the evening of November 12.

The victory over U.23 China was the first "shot" on the journey to Asia of U.23 Vietnam. Although it only won against a team that was not strong enough (as shared by Chinese media) with a difference of 1 goal, but clearly, the young players need to "gather" confidence and encouragement from such well-matched matches.

U.23 Vietnam (white shirt) progresses every day

PHOTO: MINH TU

Facing the long ball style of U.23 China, relying on the physique and speed, U.23 Vietnam was not swept away, but kept a tight formation. The defensive line of Cao Van Binh and his teammates spread out firmly, resisting the attacks with both high and low balls of the home team.

U.23 Vietnam kept a good rhythm, controlled the space and knew how to choose the right time to attack. When the opponent let down their guard in the 81st minute, Le Van Thuan suddenly accelerated, opening a cross for Pham Minh Phuc to score. In this match, U.23 Vietnam did not attack in a rush. The number of dangerous opportunities for the away team was not more than the home team. However, the whole team played to "pressure points" for the opponent, and chose the right time to unleash their strength after a few minutes of "lulling" with the ability to control the rhythm properly.

That is the appearance of a brave team, knowing themselves and their opponents, keeping a rhythm that is sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and finding the opponent's weak moment to launch the decisive blow.

"The whole team demonstrated fighting spirit, organization and courage throughout the match. Victory is not just a result, but a reward for careful preparation, compliance with tactics and discipline," Mr. Vinh emphasized.

Young players are encouraged to confidently hold the ball and pass it forward.

PHOTO: MINH TU

The steadfastness of U.23 Vietnam needs to be shown in the next match, with a very difficult challenge called U.23 Uzbekistan.

The 'heavy' test

Compared to host U.23 China, U.23 Uzbekistan is on another level.

The Central Asian representative possesses a classy youth football foundation, with the 2018 U.23 Asian Championship title, and runner-up positions in 2022 and 2024. Even Japan and South Korea are not as stable as Uzbekistan in terms of youth football.

Despite losing 0-2 to U.23 Korea in the opening day of the friendly tournament, U.23 Uzbekistan still played relatively well, with the ball control and attack phases all being done methodically by Uzbekistan.

Compared to teams that play long balls and high balls like U.23 China, having to neutralize a team with rich techniques like U.23 Uzbekistan is a much more difficult challenge. The defensive block with 3 central defenders, 2 wingers and 2 midfielders of Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh must maintain a very tight and stable formation, coordinate cover and 1-1 interception well to be able to stop the strong attack of the most skillful team.

Coach Kim Sang-sik still follows to evaluate U.23, even though he is coaching the national team.

PHOTO: MINH TU

However, looking at the approach of U.23 Vietnam in the last 4 matches against Asian opponents (1 win, 3 draws), it can be believed that Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh's students will not defend and suffer.

U.23 Vietnam is being built in the direction of high pressing to disrupt the play and win the ball to counterattack quickly. The players are trained to confidently hold the ball and coordinate passing, limiting long, high passes without direction.

This is the philosophy that coach Kim Sang-sik has been in charge of since taking over the team in July. U.23 Vietnam has been nurtured with a clear and consistent footballing mindset: emphasizing control and initiative, always having a plan to break through the opponent, ready to push the team forward no matter how strong the opponent is.

The match against U.23 Uzbekistan will bring another opportunity for the players to practice their skills and test their playing quality. With the spirit that every match is a lesson, let's wait for coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team to play really "hot" to defeat the former U.23 Asian champion.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-ngay-cang-ban-linh-tiep-tuc-tan-cong-truoc-u23-uzbekistan-tai-sao-khong-185251113200628637.htm