7:30 p.m. June 4, U23 Vietnam - U23 Laos: Big win, worried about losing form

U23 Vietnam started the SEA Games 2015 in the most perfect way with two consecutive victories and big scores of 6-0 and 5-1 against Brunei and Malaysia. The door to the semi-finals has been opened wide before Coach Miura and his team, but that does not mean paradise is just a step away.

Vietnamese football has had many obvious lessons about "painful falls" after great victories, whether in the national team at the AFF Cup or at the U23 level at the SEA Games.

At the 1998 Tiger Cup as host, the Vietnamese team played brilliantly, easily passing the group stage and convincingly defeating Thailand 3-0 in the semi-finals. However, a goal from the back of Singaporean defender Sasi Kumar in the final prevented Hong Son, Huynh Duc and their teammates from winning the championship.

In the 2004 AFF Cup, with the group stage at home, the Vietnamese team, after drawing 1-1 with Singapore and beating Cambodia 9-1, unexpectedly lost 0-3 to Indonesia, and was eliminated right from the group stage. In 2009 at the 25th SEA Games held in Laos, U23 Vietnam easily passed the group stage in the leading position, beating Singapore 4-1 in the semi-finals. Meeting U23 Malaysia again, the opponent who had lost 1-3 in the group stage, U23 Vietnam then lost 0-1 with an own goal by Xuan Hop.

Most recently, at the AFF Suzuki Cup 2014, after winning 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-final away, the Vietnamese team unexpectedly lost 2-4 in the second leg at My Dinh Stadium and lost the right to enter the final.

U23 Vietnam is full of excitement and confidence after two convincing victories recently, but coach Miura and the players know that they cannot be complacent. Before the final match to determine the ranking with U23 Thailand, U23 Vietnam will face Laos and Timor Leste, both of which are weaker opponents. For U23 Vietnam at this time, losing to U23 Laos would be a disaster, but a victory is not too difficult to achieve.

It is not too early if Coach Miura continues to make tactical and personnel calculations for the U23 Vietnam team to best prepare for the match with U23 Thailand (June 10) and further into the semi-finals. However, after what has been shown, U23 Vietnam makes opponents more cautious. Cong Phuong, Hong Quan, Huy Toan when entering the field will certainly receive special care from the opponents.

In Siam Sports, Coach Kiatisuk affirmed that the defeat of U23 Malaysia against U23 Vietnam proves that U23 Vietnam is very strong. U23 Thailand players will have to study the playing style carefully and concentrate their efforts to have a good match against U23 Vietnam.

Coach Kiatisuk's caution, who has handed over the command to his assistant in the Thailand U23 team, is not unnecessary. That shows that Vietnam U23 has received special respect from the championship candidate Thailand U23.

The target of the Vietnam team is to reach the semi-finals, but with the current squad, Coach Miura and his team can do much more than that. The score is only a part, the problem with U23 Vietnam is an effective playing style based on reasonable calculations from Coach Miura. So, no need for a rain of goals. Just an easy win!

According to TTVH