Coach Dinh Van Dung (U21 SLNA): 'I am surprised about my students'

(Baonghean.vn) - U21 SLNA is bringing interesting things when turning U21 Hanoi into spectators, eliminating PVF from the group stage before facing Viettel in the semi-finals. Even head coach Dinh Van Dung was surprised by the performance of his students recently.

Participating in the National U21 Finals, Viettel used a squad consisting of many players who had competed in the National First Division in the past 2 seasons, including prominent faces such as Duc Chien, Hoang Duc, Trong Dai... However, like SLNA, U21 Viettel had to struggle to pass the qualifying round.

In the group stage, U21 Viettel showed their strength when they had a big win against Thua Thien Hue with a score of 3-0. In the second match, Viettel was held to a 1-1 draw by Dong Thap. And in the most recent match, Viettel continued to be held to a goalless draw by HAGL. However, that was enough for coach Nguyen Hai Bien and his team to win a ticket to the semi-finals to meet SLNA.

U21 SLNA plays better and better. Photo: Internet

Talking about the opponent in the upcoming decisive match, coach Dinh Van Dung of U21 SLNA said: “Not only us but the whole country must admit that Viettel is a strong and traditional team. In terms of human resources, Viettel has a much better foundation and physical strength than SLNA. Having reached the final round, especially the semi-final, to have a victory is not easy. However, to overcome Viettel, we need to clearly know their strengths and weaknesses to limit and take advantage of them."

“This year, U21 SLNA being able to get here is truly an extraordinary effort of the players. Because besides the addition of Xuan Manh and Van Duc, U21 SLNA is a team that has to patch up many positions. The force is not strong, but I myself am surprised with the achievement of U21 SLNA reaching the semi-finals. In my opinion, it is the spirit, attitude and high concentration of the players that helped U21 SLNA defeat strong opponents in a row. The level of the 8 teams in the final round is equal and can be considered the secret to the strength of U21 SLNA.” - Coach Dinh Van Dung added.

Coach Dinh Van Dung is happy for his students. Photo: Internet

Talking about his role and experience in this playground, Coach Dinh Van Dung modestly said: “I am lucky to have won 3 championships and 5 medals with U21 SLNA in 8 times entering the final round, but I think my dedication with the students, showing the maximum instinct, trying my best will be good. This year, because the force is not elite, it is the spirit that helped the students compete with courage and confidence. To achieve results, the players and the entire team must have high concentration, know themselves and know their opponents. And the important thing is to work really hard”. - Coach Dinh Van Dung shared.

Regarding the force situation, Coach Dinh Van Dung said that all U21 SLNA players have achieved the best physical condition. As expected, the semi-final match between SLNA and Viettel will be extremely fierce and exciting. Because in recent years, Viettel has always been a tough opponent of the Nghe team in youth tournaments. And if Viettel is eliminated, U21 SLNA will once again affirm its position as the cradle of Vietnamese football before playing the final match./.

Trung Kien