Scratches in the victory of the Vietnamese team

The 3-1 victory over Nepal (2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, October 9 evening) of the Vietnamese team cannot be considered convincing, as coach Kim and his team had to wait for the advantage of having more players to overcome the opponent ranked 176th in the world.

The match was deadlocked at the beginning.

Although ranked 176th in the world , Nepal is not an easy opponent for Vietnam to defeat. At the Bukit Jalil fire pit in the opening match, Malaysia only scored 2 goals against the modest opponent from South Asia. With a comfortable mentality, the Nepalese team caused many difficulties for the host Vietnam.

Coach Kim Sang-sik had anticipated the Nepal team's defensive scenario in last night's match. The Korean strategist highly appreciated his opponent when he deployed the best possible lineup. He refused to experiment, because any new choice would bring risks. Reality happened as predicted, when despite conceding an early goal by Tien Linh's dangerous low shot in the 9th minute, Nepal still resisted Vietnam's pressure on Binh Duong field.

Tien Linh continues to score goals for the Vietnamese team

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

Nepal’s defensive block with good physical shape and tight distance turned the center into a solid wall, where the Vietnamese team could hardly penetrate in the first half, but had to continuously bounce the ball from both sides. Tien Linh’s opening goal came from a basic wing play: Tien Anh crossed accurately for Tien Linh to choose a scoring position, but Nepal corrected very quickly. The right wing was blocked, forcing the Vietnamese team to switch to the left.

Beating Nepal 3-1, Vietnam team still ranked second in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers

However, even with great pressure when Hai Long, Tuan Hai, and Quang Vinh were all present to exchange passes, the Vietnamese team still could not easily overcome Nepal's discipline, especially when defender Sanish Shrestha played steadily. Not only defending well, Nepal's No. 2 also ran smartly, slipping into the space between Tien Linh and Duy Manh to jump high and head the ball into Van Lam's net in the 17th minute. Since the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team has only kept a clean sheet in 1 of the last 6 matches. That is an alarming performance, when the defense clearly shows signs of age and physical strength.

Against an opponent ranked 62 places lower, the Vietnamese team's passing and passing lacked precision in the final stages. Tien Linh missed two chances after scoring, Tuan Hai was lost, and Hai Long had many breakthroughs but was ineffective because he did not coordinate well with the satellites around him. Things only got brighter at the end of the first half when Nepal received a red card. Vietnam's quick pressing to win the ball on Nepal's field put Hai Long in a face-to-face position. The opponent committed a foul in the situation that prevented a direct goal, leading to only 10 men in the second half.

Relieved of pressure, Vietnam team finds scoring feeling again

After the break, coach Kim Sang-sik went all out when he sent Van Vi onto the field, switching the Vietnamese team to a 4-2-4 formation (Van Vi combined with Hai Long, Tuan Hai, Tien Linh to form an attacking quartet) to create high pressure, aiming to win the ball and create opportunities.

However, the Vietnamese team's attack was still disjointed and deadlocked, as the players only played at a steady pace, unable to create any surprises that would shake the opponent. The midfield with Hoang Duc and Thanh Long lost contact with the forwards, while Tien Linh and Tuan Hai both touched the ball and shot poorly against Nepal's fierce tackles.

In the 60th minute, it was Thanh Nhan and Gia Hung's turn to enter the field to "fuel" the attack. The pressure started to increase, but it was not until a chaotic situation created by a set piece that VN scored the second goal. Taking advantage of the ball bouncing back after Tien Anh's corner kick, Xuan Manh intercepted it at the edge of the penalty area and then shot diagonally to increase the score to 2-1.

This is also the key to help the Vietnamese team remove the burden on their shoulders. When the knot is untied, combined with the advantage of more people, class and physical strength, the Vietnamese team can truly return. Hoang Duc's spontaneous curling shot opened up the opportunity for Van Vi to score the third goal, an example. The handling of Mr. Kim's students could have been better if their legs were not "leaden" even though they only met opponents far below them on the FIFA rankings. That is the inertia that Mr. Kim needs to remove. When the pillars have started to become sluggish, giving opportunities to new factors is necessary.

Defeating Nepal 3-1, the Vietnamese team has 6 points after 3 matches, still in second place in the group (Malaysia won 3-0 against Laos in the remaining match). Mr. Kim's students will play Nepal again on October 14, with a promising better performance. For the Vietnamese team at this time, winning is the most important task, where there is a lack, Mr. Kim's team needs to fix it, especially in the coordination to create opportunities as well as organize defense of high balls. The road to the 2027 Asian Cup is still very long, requiring the Korean coach to persistently build tactics and determination to purify the force.

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Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vet-xuoc-trong-chien-thang-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185251009223242731.htm