U.23 Vietnam beat Korea with... physical strength and high balls: The battle of wits is getting hotter

U.23 Vietnam is not afraid of U.23 Korea

Two years ago, the Vietnamese team suffered a heavy 0-6 defeat against South Korea. South Korea's opening goal came from an aerial battle. Kim Min-jae, a center-back at Bayern Munich at the time, charged in like a spearhead to head the ball past Dang Van Lam.

Center back Bui Hoang Viet Anh and the Vietnamese defense stood helplessly watching. Kim Min-jae, 1.9 m tall, is the symbol of the strength of Korean football. Big, strong, durable, and unparalleled in fighting, the Korean team at all levels has maintained dominance in many tournaments thanks to players like Kim Min-jae.

Kim Min-jae (No. 4) is a symbol of the physical strength of Korean football.

PHOTO: OSEN

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese national teams have long been considered "short and light", making up for their physical strength with flexibility and agility. There was a time when the Vietnamese national team or U.23 Vietnam were overwhelmed by opponents who were taller than... a head.

However, times have changed. Vietnam U.23 has improved its physique over the past decade, with the average height slightly increasing from 1.71 m to 1.76 m. Players taller than 1.8 m have appeared more frequently, typically the Vietnam U.23 team that won the SEA Games 30 (2019) with Nguyen Thanh Chung (1.8 m), Doan Van Hau (1.86 m) or Huynh Tan Sinh (1.85 m).

With taller players, Vietnamese youth football is no longer afraid of strong opponents. In the hands of Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh at the moment are 9 players over 1.8 m tall, in which Dinh Quang Kiet (1.96 m) and Tran Trung Kien (1.91 m) have outstanding heights compared to the previous generation.

In defense alone, Mr. Kim has 6 tall players. Thanks to that, U.23 Vietnam no longer has to "look up" at their opponents.

In 2018, U.23 Vietnam lost 1-2 to U.23 Korea, defeated U.23 Australia, U.23 Iraq and U.23 Qatar. In 2020, U.23 Vietnam drew 0-0 with U.23 Jordan and U.23 UAE. In 2022, U.23 Vietnam drew 1-1 with U.23 Korea. Most recently, U.23 Vietnam drew 1-1 with U.23 Korea in March, then won 1-0 against U.23 China 5 days ago at the Panda Cup.

U.23 Vietnam has improved its physique

PHOTO: VFF

Even at the national team level, Vietnamese football is still inferior to Korea. However, at the youth level, where players are on the way to perfecting their technical and tactical skills, the gap has narrowed to a minimum.

U.23 Vietnam can win or lose to U.23 Korea in the match at 2:30 pm tomorrow (November 18), because youth football is hard to predict. But certainly, if they lose, Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh's students will not lose because they are overwhelmed physically or mentally.

U.23 Vietnam has a beautiful and potential generation of players, capable of competing with any big opponent.

Know yourself, know others

U.23 Vietnam lost to U.23 Uzbekistan because they could not deploy the ball coherently against the opponent's "sea of people" pressing.

U.23 Uzbekistan is fast, strong and has scientific marking. The Central Asian representative filled the middle, applying strong high pressure to counter-attack and win the ball.

That is a lesson for U.23 Vietnam. The top teams in Asia always play directly and uncompromisingly. To implement the style of play, Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh's students must coordinate well, control the rhythm and control the game under pressure, and finish more effectively.

U.23 Vietnam accumulates gradually through each match

PHOTO: VFF

The video analysis of the mistakes in the match against U.23 Uzbekistan, as well as the documents about U.23 Korea were presented by the U.23 Vietnam coaching staff at the tactical meeting. After 2 matches, Dinh Bac and his teammates, as well as the opponent, revealed all their strengths and weaknesses. The 2-day preparation period was not long enough to build a new playing style, but it was enough to adjust small details, such as marking, covering or counter-attacking.

U.23 Vietnam will have to brace themselves against the pressing power, with the quick and sharp tackles of U.23 Korea (a team that can play harder than U.23 Uzbekistan). The defense also needs to concentrate against the "air attacks" of the very strong strikers of the Korean side.

However, U.23 Vietnam has prepared mentally. After 2 tense matches, Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh's machine has "heated up".

Confident, disciplined and proactive playing style is a solid foundation for U.23 Vietnam to operate. Wing attacks, pressing to win the ball quickly, etc. have helped young Vietnamese players create many opportunities in the past 2 matches. As Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh shared, the important thing is "discipline and spirit".

If these two factors are developed, U.23 Vietnam will compete fairly. Even if they lose, it will be a "satisfying" loss.