'Only Cong Phuong and Tien Linh have enough power to make a splash'; Netherlands officially wins ticket to final round

Coach Park Hang-seo: 'Only Cong Phuong and Tien Linh have enough power to attack'

Coach Park Hang-seogave compliments when strikers like Cong Phuong, Tien Linh, Van Toan were active in attacking against Saudi Arabia.

The Vietnamese team could not get a point against Saudi Arabia, as we lost 0-1 to the opponent. Speaking after the match, coach Park Hang-seo said: “If I say more now, it will be like saying it over and over again. So I will not say much more. The thing I regret the most is that Vietnam did not score at home. It partly reflects the players' ability to score. They scored away but could not score at My Dinh. That is a pity. In terms of playing ability, the Vietnamese players have gradually improved. Against Saudi Arabia, the Vietnamese team tried their best.”

Mr. Park analyzed: “The Saudi Arabia coach can give compliments to Vietnam. But we also know that it is still just a polite word. The important thing is that after 6 losses, the Vietnamese players did not give up. There were times when the Vietnamese players were psychologically depressed after the defeats. But I tried to help them relieve stress and find comfort. As a coach, when I saw them not giving up, still trying to find the first point in their first time participating in the 3rd qualifying round of the World Cup, I really want to thank them.”

Cong Phuong still showed his qualities, however the Arab defense played very solidly so he did not create many opportunities. Photo: Hai Hoang

Talking about arranging Cong Phuong to play with Tien Linh and then Duc Chinh, Coach Park said: “The Vietnam national team currently plays with 2 strikers. Currently, the Vietnam national team has strikers including Tien Linh, Cong Phuong, Duc Chinh, Tuan Hai, Van Toan. In the last two matches, I arranged Tien Linh to play with Cong Phuong. I think Cong Phuong played well in the attacking role. Tien Linh did the same.

Actually, I also want to make a change, but at the moment, only those two players are capable of attacking. In the second half, Tien Linh had an ankle injury, so I had to replace Van Toan. He also tried hard and played well in the last two matches."

Coach Park Hang-seo concluded: “I always remind the players to be confident. But the problem is how we can turn confidence into action. That is the important thing. In the meetings, we also talked a lot. But confidence does not come easily when Vietnam meets strong teams. Anyway, losing 0-1 is also proof that the Vietnamese players are more confident and play better. They are gradually adapting. In the near future, the Vietnamese team will go for training. I hope the players will show their abilities in the upcoming AFF Cup.”

The Netherlands officially won a ticket to the 2022 World Cup finals

The Netherlands had to struggle to beat Norway 2-0 in a "life and death" match in the final match of Group G of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Europe.

Victory only came to the "Orange Storm" when they played explosively in the final minutes and scored 2 consecutive goals.

Bergwijn (right) and Depay help the Netherlands win tickets to the 2022 World Cup. Source: Getty Images

Steven Bergwijn and Memphis Depay took turns shining with goals in the 84th and 90+1 minutes, to bring valuable victory to the Netherlands.

With this victory, coach Danny Blind's team officially won the last direct ticket to represent Europe to Qatar to attend the 2022 World Cup finals.

Japan team ranked second in Group B of World Cup qualifiers

On the night of November 16, the Japanese team won 1-0 against Oman, thereby surpassing Australia in the 2022 World Cup qualifying round rankings in Asia.

Junya Ito's only goal in the 81st minute helped Japan successfully avenge their debt to Oman, after losing 0-1 to their opponent in the opening match of the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup in early September. The "Samurai Blue" is returning, with their third consecutive victory, thereby rising to second place in Group B with 12 points, 1 point more than Australia.

The Japanese team showed their determination and dominated the game right from the opening whistle. However, the Omani defense played solidly and almost did not allow the opponent to have a clear chance in the penalty area. The first 45 minutes passed without a single shot on target from either team.

Ito seized the chance to score the only goal of the match. Photo: Getty Images.

In the second half, Japan started to speed up in search of a goal to break the deadlock. Good chances gradually came to the strikers in white, but goalkeeper Faiyz Al Rashidi played with concentration. In the 59th minute, Takumi Minamino fell in the penalty area after a dispute. VAR intervened but referee Ko Hyung-jin decided not to award a penalty to Japan.

In the following minutes, the Japanese team relentlessly attacked, putting great pressure on the Oman goal. In the 81st minute, after a mistake by the Oman defense on the right wing, Kaoru Mitoma passed the ball into the penalty area for Ito to finish close to the goal, scoring against Oman.

The white-shirted strikers maintained the fragile gap until the end of the match. Oman fought back in the final minutes, but could not penetrate the opponent's defense. Japan had their 4th win in the 3rd qualifying round and rose to second place in the group.

Coach Xavi wants to bring Chelsea's versatile defender to Barca

After being appointed as the new captain of Barcelona, ​​coach Xavi has asked the Nou Camp board to bring him versatile defender Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea. This is the information just revealed by ESPN.

Azpilicueta is highly regarded by coach Xavi for his versatility. The 32-year-old Spaniard can play well as a right-back in a 4-man defense and a center-back in a 3-man defense. Azpilicueta's strengths generally fit well with Xavi's philosophy, which favors players who can take on many different roles.

Cesar Azpilicueta.

Barca's problem now is that they are having financial difficulties. That's why the Catalan giants do not intend to buy Azpilicueta when the winter transfer market opens, they just hope to get their target for free next summer.

The basis for Barca's Board of Directors to place their trust is that Azpilicueta's contract with Chelsea only lasts until the end of the 2021/22 season. Recently, there was information that Chelsea's Board of Directors had offered Azpilicueta a new contract, but so far the parties have not reached an agreement.

Azpilicueta has been a Chelsea legend for nearly a decade. Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Marseille in 2012, he has played a total of 442 games for the West London club, scoring 12 goals.

At Chelsea, Azpilicueta is earning £150,000 a week. That is an attractive income for a defender, but he also has reason to consider the possibility of moving to a new destination because he is having difficulty competing for a starting position with young talent Reece James.