Vietnam National Team - Iran National Team: The battle with the giant
(Baonghean.vn) - The competition between coach Park Hang-seo and his team and the representative from the West Asian region is like the battle between little David and the giant Goliath.
Bodybuilding, fitness
The first difference is in terms of physical appearance. While the players of the Iranian team have an average height of 1m84 (the best in this year's tournament), the average height of Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates is only 1m75 (the lowest in the 2019 Asian Cup).
Being 9cm taller is a huge advantage for the Iranian team in the upcoming match against the Vietnamese team. In sports in general, and football in particular, height is always a very important factor, contributing to the overall victory of each individual and team.
With a tall physique and a strong physical foundation, Coach Carlos Queiroz's team will be extremely dangerous in one-on-one battles and aerial situations. Especially in the situation where the Vietnamese team always shows weakness in the ability to resolve set pieces.
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| Vietnam team has the shortest average height in Asian Cup 2019. Photo: laodong.vn |
Most likely in the upcoming match, the Iranian team will focus on familiar moves such as wing-flips and headers, in order to take advantage of their pressing and aerial abilities. Therefore, difficulties are waiting for the defense of the Vietnamese team ahead.
Besides, unlike most other teams from West Asia, the Iranian team possesses a strong technical foundation and good tactical vision. In addition to their ability to sweep and be strong in aerial combat, the Iranian players are also very cunning in their playing style. Just look at their Futsal Team (champion of the 2016 Asian Futsal Championship).
Class, achievement
Despite being the reigning AFF Cup champions, the Vietnamese team is still far behind the Iranian team. Currently, coach Carlos Queiroz's team is holding the No. 1 position in Asia, according to the latest FIFA rankings (Vietnam is ranked 17th). It is very likely that the ranking gap will widen, after coach Park Hang-seo's team lost to Iraq (2-3), and Iran defeated Yemen (5-0).
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| Iran team is the candidate for the championship of Asian Cup 2019. Photo: vtv.vn |
While the Vietnamese team has only participated in the second qualifying round of the World Cup (World Cup 2018), the Iranian team has participated in the biggest football festival on the planet 5 times (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018). At the last World Cup, coach Carlos Queiroz and his team almost defeated the reigning European champions - Portugal to win a ticket to the knockout round (1-1 draw).
In the Asian Cup, the Iranian team has also won the championship 3 times (1968, 1972 and 1976), only behind the Japanese team (4 times). In contrast, the Vietnamese team has only participated in the final round of the prestigious Asian football tournament twice (in 2007, Vietnam was one of the 4 countries hosting the Asian Cup). The achievements of the two teams are worlds apart.
Not only is the Vietnamese team inferior in terms of physical strength, physique and past achievements, the current strength of the Vietnamese team cannot be compared to the Iranian team. Coach Carlos Queiroz has a series of excellent players competing in prestigious tournaments, typically the Premier League - where striker Jahanbakhsh is playing for Brighton Club.
However, in life and especially in football, there are always surprises. There are many teams that are rated higher before the match, but have to accept defeat by another team that is rated lower./.
