How did the Vietnamese national team surprise Iran?

After Sardar Azmoun scored his second goal in the 69th minute, former Portugal national team coach Carloz Queiroz made a remarkable gesture. His celebratory wave was as if he had just completed a predictedly difficult task. It was then that he began to breathe a sigh of relief after 70 minutes of play.

Indeed, although the Vietnamese national team is considered much weaker than the team currently ranked 27th in the world, the Portuguese strategist did not show any complacency. He himself had many kind words for Park Hang-seo's team after they made things difficult for Iraq in the first match.

As expected, Iran proved to be superior to us in every aspect. Photo: AFC

In fact, Iran faced considerable difficulties in the early stages of the match. They deliberately exploited the center of Vietnam's defense with quick and fast-paced passing combinations. However, with both Duc Huy and Do Hung Dung starting, the Vietnamese defense successfully executed Coach Park's tight defensive strategy for 38 minutes before conceding a goal from a superb header. In the first 15 minutes, Vietnam controlled the ball for over 40%. Despite facing pressure, Trong Hoang and Van Hau maintained a smooth balance between attack and defense.

Sardar Azmoun's goal towards the end of the first half was a relief for the West Asian team. It seemed they would dominate even more in the second half. However, the early part of the second half saw the Vietnamese team play more confidently, daring to control the ball and organize attacks. If Cong Phuong had been more accurate in his one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper, Vietnam could have scored an equalizer.

There was a time when the Vietnamese national team took a risk and played an attacking game against their opponent Queiroz. Photo: AFC

What happened in the first half of the second half surprised both Vietnamese fans and Iranian players. Because everyone knows that playing an attacking game against Iran now is nothing more than a risky experiment.

Vietnam's successful tackle rate in this match was 48.1%, our successful aerial tackle rate was 56.0%. Our accurate pass rate was 64.4%, with 72 more long passes than the opponent (64). The difference came from the number of shots, Iran had 5/15 shots on target, while we only had 2/5.

The heat map from the second half shows a balance in ball control between the two teams. Photo: AFC

Post-match statistics show that the Vietnamese national team only had 32% possession compared to Iran's 68% throughout the match. However, the heat map in the second half showed a balance in ball possession between the two teams. In addition, the Vietnamese team had two clear scoring opportunities through Cong Phuong and Quang Hai, both occurring in the second half.

And what was bound to happen did happen: Iran scored their second goal in the 69th minute. The scorer was none other than Sardar Azmoun. The goal came as an inevitability, leaving coach Park Hang-seo with almost no reaction.

It wasn't until Quang Hai's incredibly unfortunate miss near the end of the match that the Korean coach showed any reaction. However, instead of expressing regret and reprimanding his player, he smiled gently, as if a 2-0 scoreline was already acceptable for his team after the game.

"The Vietnamese team played very well; anyone who criticizes them knows nothing about football. Iran plays at World Cup level, they are a top team in Asia, we shouldn't expect to get any points, let alone win. But the important thing is that when facing such a strong team, the Vietnamese players still played confidently, followed the tactics, and didn't get flustered or lose morale. No one in the Vietnamese team was flawed. Their effort, spirit, and playing style were all good."

Coach Le Thuy Hai

Vietnam vs Iran Match Ratings: Excellent Performance from Ngoc Hai and Van Lam

(Baonghean.vn) - Despite a 0-2 defeat against Iran in Group D of the 2019 Asian Cup, Dang Van Lam and his teammates in defense made it difficult for the opponent to find a goal. The reputable sports website Fox Sports gave Quang Hai the highest rating, followed by Ngoc Hai, Duc Huy, and others...