Defeating the "Lions" of the Gulf?

(Baonghean.vn) - With the newfound energy of tiki-taka and the psychological advantage of a relaxed 4-1 victory over Taiwan, can the red-shirted "warriors" make the struggling Gulf "lions" suffocate in defeat?

The match between the Iraq national team and the Vietnam national team will take place at 9:00 PM tonight (March 29th).

Although the head-to-head history favors our opponent and our team is still considered inferior in terms of skill level, that doesn't necessarily mean anything in tonight's match. The new energy that Coach Huu Thang has instilled in the Vietnamese team is filling them with hope and a greater desire to win than ever before. Meanwhile, their opponent, Iraq, is desperate for points and has had to change coaches mid-season, which will inevitably cause some disruption in both morale and playing style.

The 4-1-4-1 formation will still be employed by the coach from Nghe An, along with a squad that remains largely unchanged from the victory against Taiwan. For Coach Huu Thang, while respecting the opponent, the tiki-taka style of play doesn't allow for prioritizing defense or attacking. The important thing is for his players to control the ball well, pass quickly, and advance and retreat together to maintain distance. This is also the basis for fans' belief that Coach Huu Thang's team will put an end to their opponent's long history of playing the role of a "giant" in Asian football.

Meanwhile, the 2007 Asian Cup champions only have 9 points after 5 matches, failing to secure a direct ticket to the 2018 World Cup. A loss to Vietnam in this match would see Iraq lose their second-place position in Group F, effectively ending their World Cup 2018 dream. Therefore, the psychological pressure to win, coupled with changes on the coaching staff, will put considerable pressure on these physically imposing opponents from West Asia.

Overall, the players under coach Abdul Ghani Shahad are still slightly better than the Vietnamese players. However, if the new coach Abdul Ghani Shahad wants to win all three points, he will certainly need a bit of luck, because the Vietnamese team is now very different from the one in the first leg.

The expected lineup for the Vietnam national team.

Clearly, Vietnamese football is turning a new page with a playing style suited to the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of coach Huu Thang. Tonight's match could result in a surprising victory or a clear defeat.

However, for the fans, that's not the important thing, and the coach from Nghe An understands what they want. That is, a style of play that needs to be maintained through beautiful passing sequences, a tight defense, and an attack with accurate shots on target.

“The dream of winning the World Cup is still too far away right now. But we can achieve great things,” Công Vinh shared. Defeating the “Lions” of the Gulf is one of those great things. Even though it’s an uneven match, believe it, because football always needs luck and holds surprises.

SON CHU