Asian Cup 2019: Get points against Iran, why not?

Thanh Hung• January 11, 2019 15:17

(Baonghean.vn) - In the second round of the 2019 Asian Cup group stage, Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will have a match that is predicted to be "less good than bad" when they have to face the championship candidate - Iran.

Speaking to the press, midfielder Tran Minh Vuong affirmed: "The Vietnamese team has put aside the sadness and regret after the recent loss to Iraq to focus on the next matches of the Asian Cup. In the next match, we will meet Iran - the team considered the strongest in Group D. This will certainly be a very difficult match, but in fact we respect them and are not afraid of them."

It is true that in every aspect, the Vietnamese team cannot compare to the representative from the West Asian region. How strong is the Iranian team? They are the top team in the continent (according to the latest FIFA rankings). They just played in the 2018 World Cup, where the Iranian team almost surpassed the Portuguese team to win a ticket to the knockout round.

ĐT Iran đang là đội bóng số 1 của châu Á. Ảnh: Albawaba.com
Iran is currently the number 1 team in Asia. Photo: Albawaba.com
Coach Carlos Queiros and his team have all the elements of a “strong army and strong general”. The Portuguese strategist spent many years as an assistant to former coach Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd and once led Real Madrid… Coach Carlos Queiros has a series of great players playing in prestigious tournaments, typically the Premier League (striker Jahanbakhsh - Brighton Club).

However, expert Nguyen Thanh Vinh said: “In football, there is always an element of surprise. It is not like 2 + 2 = 4, 2 x 3 = 6. The stronger team does not necessarily win. Iran is really strong, but that does not mean that the opportunity to win 1 point, even winning all 3 points for our team is impossible. I believe that if we play the right strategy and have a little luck, Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will receive a very positive result.”

Former coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh's belief is completely justified, because in the past, Vietnamese football has achieved resounding victories. The runner-up position at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship and the 4th place at the 18th Asian Games are typical examples. As for Iranian football, the Vietnamese Olympic team once crushed the Iranian Olympic team with a score of 4-1 in the group stage of the 17th Asian Games held in Korea in 2014. Therefore, the goal of scoring points against the Iranian team of coach Park Hang-seo and his team in the upcoming match is completely feasible.

ĐT Việt Nam cũng đang là ĐKVĐ AFF Cup. Ảnh: Zing.vn
Vietnam National Team is also the current AFF Cup champion. Photo: Zing.vn
In addition to the fact that they often have a “fate” with representatives from the West Asian region, Vietnamese football itself has also made remarkable progress in recent times. Success at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, the 18th Asian Games and the 2018 AFF Cup is a “doping dose” that stimulates the fighting spirit of Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates. In many areas of life, especially football, spirit is an extremely powerful weapon.

When the referee has not yet blown the final whistle, anything can happen. The Vietnamese team will defeat the Iranian team in the match taking place at 6pm on January 12, which is also a common thing in "football"./.

Thanh Hung