U19 Vietnam - U19 Japan: Difficult but still have a chance

(Baonghean.vn) - Tonight (October 27), coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team will enter the semi-finals against U19 Japan. Up to now, at all levels of the national team, Vietnamese football has never been on par with football from the land of the rising sun. Therefore, if they can create a surprise against U19 Japan, it will truly be a miracle for U19 Vietnam.

Objectively speaking, up to now, the Vietnamese youth teams have always played fairly when facing teams from the Middle East, West Asia and Central Asia. However, when facing teams like Japan or Korea, they have almost no chance.

At this year's Asian Cup, despite successive surprises against North Korea, a draw with UAE and Iraq and a defeat against U19 Bahrain. However, although U19 Vietnam is in a comfortable state of mind after successfully winning a ticket to the U20 World Cup 2017 and determined to continue winning, that alone is not enough. Why can we say that?

Firstly, it is the difference in level between the two football backgrounds. The Japanese play football both technically and very effectively, they always know how to change the tempo, change the tactical diagram to break down the opponent's defensive walls. From club to national team level, from U11 to U23, the players are consistent in a playing style that has been shaped since they first started playing football.

Japan U19

Meanwhile, U19 Vietnam is the product of a team-oriented playing style, scientific defense and waiting for the right time to attack. In terms of technique, tactics, football thinking, ability to create breakthroughs, or in other words, U19 Vietnam cannot be superior to U19 Japan in both defense and counterattack. In general, in terms of strength and endurance, Japanese and Korean players are also on a different "class" compared to Vietnamese players.

Second, both the U19 Vietnam and U19 Japan coaching staff have carefully studied each other's playing styles. But no matter how carefully they study their opponents' playing styles, U19 Vietnam is still much more passive. Certainly, U19 Japan will be the ones playing offense, while coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team will actively defend.

U19 Vietnam was very successful in defeating Bahrain, but if they applied the same old strategy against their opponents in the semi-finals, it might not be as effective as before. Because compared to Bahrain, Japan's playing style is much more annoying. One of the Japanese's powerful weapons is the ability to penetrate inside like an attacking spearhead of the full-backs. The opponent also has enough strategies, smooth coordination, long passes, and long shots when needed.

Third, with such a situation, U19 Vietnam certainly cannot concentrate all its strength on attacking, as well as preemptively attack the opponent. U19 Vietnam is forced to give up the midfield to the opponent. The absence of a rather important player like striker Ha Duc Chinh in the attack will more or less reduce the counter-attacking power of U19 Vietnam. At the same time, the achievement of reaching the quarter-finals, winning a ticket to the U20 World Cup 2017 is truly a historical feat. Therefore, coach Hoang Anh Tuan also has another task which is to do ideological work for his students, avoiding signs of complacency.

U19 Vietnam is very excited after making a miracle of entering the World Cup.

Meeting in the semi-finals, both teams have more or less proven their strength, especially U19 Vietnam. The opportunity for U19 Vietnam is not impossible if luck smiles on them.

However, before the Japanese U19 team, fans and coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team need to determine their mindset to avoid feeling disappointed in case of failure.

Hoai Hoan