Playing at home against a weak opponent, coach Philippe Troussier's team is expected to win big on the opening day of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers.
Guam U23 is a mix of players playing in the domestic league and American school football. Photo: GuamFA
*Vietnam – Guam: 7pm Wednesday 6/9, on VnExpress.
After winning the bronze medal at the 32nd SEA Games, Coach Troussier entered the second official tournament with U23 Vietnam. The draw placed the team in an easy group C with opponents of lower level, including Guam, Yemen and Singapore.
Guam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean with an area of about 541 km2 and a population of over 160,000 people. It has never been famous for sports, but is known for its tourism industry as a key economic sector and US military bases.
Guam is even more unfamiliar on the world football map, ranking 203rd on the FIFA rankings - just above five other teams. They have twice faced the Vietnamese team in the Asian Cup qualifiers, losing 0-9 in 1996 and 0-11 in 2000. Until now, heavy losses in official tournaments still haunt Guam and make it difficult for them to find strong opponents for official friendly matches.
In the U23 Asian arena, while Vietnam is a regular guest with five qualifying rounds and four finals, this is the first time Guam has participated. Coach Dominic Gadia said he is happy with the change of the Federation, because only by regularly competing in international tournaments can Guam's youth football develop, thereby providing the best products for the national team.
Vietnamese players practice crossing early in the training session yesterday, September 5. Photo: Hieu Luong
Guam’s squad is a mix of players from the national league, players who grew up in American school football, and most notably midfielder Leon Morimoto, who plays for Temperley in the Argentine First Division. However, coach Dominic Gadia admits that the overall level of the team is difficult to compare with Vietnam – a rival with the best youth football development program in Asia and has been gradually reaping the rewards in recent years.
Vietnam is expected to have a favorable start to aim for the top spot in Group C and a ticket to the 2024 AFC U23 Championship finals. Coach Philippe Troussier also aims to help his players surpass the regional level, so the team needs to create superiority instead of letting a barrier like Guam make it difficult.
Vnexpress.net
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