Coach Hoang Anh Tuan: 'No one believes U19 Vietnam will beat U19 North Korea'

The coach of the Vietnam U19 team was pleased when his players created a big surprise, defeating the defending runner-up 2-1 in the opening match of the 19th Asian Championship.

"I am very happy with this victory. Before the match, everyone said that U19 Vietnam had no chance of causing a surprise in this match. Actually, everyone has the right to predict the win or loss. But my team had to try their best and as everyone saw, my players fought strongly," said coach Hoang Anh Tuan after the match.

In today's match in Bahrain, just as coach Anh Tuan said, U19 Vietnam is not highly rated when placed next to the opponent who was the runner-up in the previous U19 Asian Championship.

But the surprise happened when the young players in red played confidently, with style, dominating U19 North Korea in the first half. In the second half, U19 Vietnam scored two beautiful goals, thanks to Duc Chinh and Van Hau to decide the fate of the match, before the opponent scored a consolation goal in the extra minutes.

"Our team spirit today was fantastic. North Korea is a very strong team. Before the match, I told my players that the first match is always difficult mentally, we have to fight really hard to have a chance. I think determining the right mindset before entering the match is the key to helping the team win," the coach from Khanh Hoa further explained about the unexpected victory on the opening day.

Meanwhile, coach Ri Song-ho admitted that North Korea U19 team was not well prepared for the match: "The team played as I expected, but we clearly need to prepare better. Today, my players were a bit nervous and not strong enough."

Determining the right competitive spirit and trying your best, according to coach Hoang Anh Tuan, is the key to victory for U19 Vietnam. Photo:AFC.

This coach also said that the sudden change in temperature was another reason why U19 North Korea lost the match: "The weather is one of the reasons. My players are not used to the weather here, because in North Korea right now, it is very cold."

"I think Vietnam will adapt to the conditions here more easily than us. Even in the second half, they still played very well and were superior in ball control.Our team is still tired after having to travel a long way. But this is only the first match, we will learn from this defeat to prepare for the next match," coach Ri added.

According to VNE