Echoes of U23 Vietnam's 0-1 loss to U23 Iraq
(Baonghean.vn) - Despite their best efforts, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team could not create a surprise against U23 Iraq. The only goal conceded on the 11m mark officially shattered the dream of the Paris Olympics.
Broken Dreams
Facing a strong opponent, U23 Iraq, coach Hoang Anh Tuan's students played very hard. They tried to create a tight game against the opponent from West Asia and waited for opportunities to counterattack. This tactic helped U23 Vietnam have a 0-0 draw after the first half ended.
However, a controversial penalty in the second half ruined the dream of U23 Vietnam. On the 11m penalty spot, Ali Jasim defeated goalkeeper Quang Van Chuan to score the only goal of the match.
With this defeat, U23 Vietnam stopped at the quarter-finals of the U23 Asia for the second consecutive time and ended a commendable journey at this year's tournament.
The referee was heavy-handed with U23 Vietnam
The penalty in the 63rd minute ruined all the efforts of U23 Vietnam. The impact of goalkeeper Quang Van Chuan on Nihad Mohammed was not too obvious and the poor ball control of the U23 Iraq striker caused the opportunity to pass. Therefore, this was a rather heavy-handed decision by referee Hyung-Jin Ko.
Besides the penalty, the Korean referee also overlooked many fouls that should have been carded by U23 Iraq. Among them were fouls committed by number 14 Karrar Mohammed, number 10 Nihad Mohammed and Mustafa Saadoun. Obviously, Vietnamese fans were not satisfied with the way referee Hyung-Jin Ko managed the match.
Ali Jasim - the future of Iraqi football
The right wing of U23 Vietnam had a very hard day at work. Ho Van Cuong and Nguyen Hong Phuc had to "breathe smoke" in front of the speed and agility of Ali Jasim. It was the discomfort of this player wearing the number 7 shirt that caused Manh Hung to receive a red card in the final minutes of the match.
In addition, Ali Jasim was also the only scorer of the match to bring victory to U23 Iraq. In addition to 3 goals and 2 assists at the U23 Asian Cup this year, the midfielder wearing the number 7 shirt also has 4 goals at the AFC Champions League, an excellent achievement for a player who is only 20 years old. Therefore, Ali Jasim is the future star of Iraqi football.
Le Nguyen Hoang - The bright spot of Nghe An football
The young midfielder of Song Lam Nghe An is the most stable player of U23 Vietnam in this tournament. And in the last match, Le Nguyen Hoang was also one of the best players of U23 Vietnam.
The young midfielder of Song Lam Nghe An has made precise interventions and provided good support for his teammates, helping to limit the danger of the strikers of U23 Iraq. At the age of 19, Le Nguyen Hoang is proving himself to be a promising midfielder of Nghe An football in particular and Vietnamese football in general.
Hopefully, Le Nguyen Hoang will continue to make progress in the future to become a solid stopper for Song Lam Nghe An as well as the National Teams.
Despite losing to U23 Iraq and stopping at the quarter-finals, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team had a remarkable journey in this year's tournament. Hopefully, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his students will continue to make progress in the coming time to help Vietnamese football regain its position in the region.
