"U23 Vietnam is capable of becoming the Asian version of Greece"
Nearly 14 years ago, Greece created a “shock” in Europe when it unexpectedly won the EURO 2004 championship. And now, Vietnamese fans in particular and the continent’s football fans in general are waiting to see if coach Park Hang-seo and his team can do the same thing?
Don't tense up!
At 3:00 p.m. on January 23 (Vietnam time, VTV6 live), U23 Vietnam will face U23 Qatar in the semi-finals of the 2018 U23 Asian Cup at Changzhou Stadium (China). Talking to NTNN before the match, midfielder Le Tan Tai (B.Binh Duong) - the player who experienced the historic moment of winning the AFF Cup 2008 and has faced Qatar 4 times at the national team level said:
“Nearly 10 years ago, we experienced moments that cannot be described in words. After defeating Thailand to become the Southeast Asian champion, we were so moved that we could only hug each other and cry - tears of happiness in the arms of fans at My Dinh Stadium.”
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| U23 Vietnam has done amazing things at the 2018 U23 Asia finals. Photo: IT |
“Every victory is glorious and what U23 Vietnam achieved at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup was a historic milestone, something that Vietnamese football has never reached.
As a player and having retired from the national team at the age of 34 to be able to devote myself to the club, I still could not contain my emotions when witnessing the thrilling victory of U23 Vietnam over U23 Iraq in the quarter-finals. They were so amazing, playing with courage, confidence and bravery" - Tan Tai confided.
According to Tan Tai, U23 Vietnam had great performances, so: "When entering the semi-finals, whether winning or losing, U23 Vietnam can hold their heads high in the trust of the fans."
With the above sharing, Tan Tai believes that Coach Park Hang-seo and his team should remove all psychological burdens to enter the match in the most comfortable state. “In terms of physical strength, we spent a lot of energy in the group stage and especially in the 120 minutes of the match with U23 Iraq. Meanwhile, U23 Qatar played leisurely in the quarter-finals. If we are physically weaker than our opponents and are tense, the match will be very difficult for Coach Park Hang-seo and his team” - Tan Tai commented.
Watch out for high balls and "dead balls"
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| Le Tan Tai hopes that U23 Vietnam can continue to cause surprises in the semi-finals against U23 Qatar. Photo: IT |
In the past, Vietnamese and Qatari football teams have never met at the U23 level. But at the national team level, the two teams have faced each other 6 times, with Vietnam winning 2, drawing 1, and losing 3.
Tan Tai was the starter in all four matches against Qatar from 2007 to 2013 (1-1 draw in the 2007 ASIAN Cup finals, 0-3 loss and 2-1 win in the first leg, 2014 World Cup qualifiers, 2-1 win in the friendly match in October 2013 - PV).
With experience facing this West Asian team, Tan Tai shared: “Qatar has a strong attack, especially the midfield. They are very dangerous in high ball situations - a point where Vietnamese teams, including U23 Vietnam, are often confused. In addition, their ability to shoot from afar and take advantage of opportunities from set pieces is also very good.”
Tan Tai sees striker Ali Abdulla (number 19) - who is leading the "goal scorer" list with 5 goals - as an extremely dangerous spearhead: "Ali Abdulla's ability to score goals and choose his position is very good. Ali Abdulla's finishing moves look simple at first glance but are extremely sensitive and dangerous."
So what weaknesses does U23 Qatar have that we can take advantage of? NTNN asked and Tan Tai answered: “Because this is the U23 level, Qatar's stability is still poor. In addition, the defensive players of the previous Qatar team and the current U23 Qatar often appear quite confused when being quickly approached, especially on the left wing.
So I think in this match, the fast and close attacks with a large number of players at every moment of U23 Vietnam right on the opponent's field will be effective. U23 Vietnam has very fast and skillful players such as Cong Phuong, Quang Hai, Van Duc...
In conclusion, Tan Tai predicted: “I used to be a U23 player and a national player, so I really hope that U23 Vietnam can once again surprise U23 Qatar on the journey to becoming the Greek of Asia - something our generation could not do. We just have to stick to our way of playing, control the ball firmly on the home field and wait for the opportunity to counterattack. Who knows, the miracle will continue to happen”!
Expected lineup of U23 Vietnam (5-4-1): Goalkeeper Tien Dung, defenders Hong Duy, Duy Manh, Dinh Trong, Tien Dung, Van Thanh; midfielders Quang Hai, Duc Huy, Xuan Truong, Van Duc; striker Cong Phuong.