2018 Asiad Quarterfinals: How did Syria U23 coach "guess" Vietnam U23?
Captain Alfakeer Muhannad of U23 Syria has sharp comments about U23 Vietnam before the decisive quarter-final match of Asiad 2018, paying special attention to 3 outstanding players in the hands of coach Park Hang Seo...
Evaluating U23 Vietnam, Coach Alfakeer Muhannad said: "I know your team very well, and recently the 4 matches at Asiad 18.
U23 Vietnam is a strong team, with many good players. The playing style of U23 Vietnam relies on fast players, strong ball-winning in the midfield, as well as having technical players. This is a difficult match for both U23 Vietnam and Syria…"
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| Coach Alfakeer Muhannad believes his students can... |
Besides the match assessment, the head coach of U23 Syria shared the difficulties in the team's preparation for the Asiad, and mostly due to the changing situations in the Syrian football federation 2 months ago.
He said:“We didn’t have the best preparation, but we prepared ourselves with the group stage matches as well as the match against Palestine in the round of 16. The team is better, and we are ready for the match against Vietnam.”
Mr. Alfakeer Muhannad added that the match between U23 Syria and U23 Vietnam at the 2018 Asian Games was completely different from the time the two teams met in the group stage of the U23 Asia (0-0 draw): “Two different teams, the previous team had better preparation, but now I only have players born in 1997 and 1998. I am trying to create personal cohesion, lines and play with more strength and speed in attack…”
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| ...will defeat U23 Vietnam in the upcoming match. |
“We have to keep a balance between attack and defense. It would be very risky to play offensively against U23 Vietnam. We understand that this is not an easy match, so we need to focus in every situation."Mr. Alfakeer Muhannad added.
When asked which player made the most impression on the U23 Vietnam team, the captain of the U23 Syria team said: “I cannot answer their identities, although I know that in U23 Vietnam there are 3 really classy players. And of course, we have to pay attention to them in the upcoming match.".
Regarding the question of whether U23 Syria's goal is to reach the final or not, Mr. Alfakeer Muhannad affirmed
"Nothing is impossible but to do it is not easy at all. Wewill fight with all my might and be confident in my abilities."