U20 Vietnam and bright signs for the future

Although they have won 6 points after the first 2 matches in Group B, to continue, U20 Vietnam needs at least a draw against U20 Iran. That is not easy because the team from West Asia, despite losing in the second match, is still considered the strongest team in this group.

With the advantage of physique and physical strength, U20 Iran got what they needed.

Entering the match, although coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team was at a disadvantage in terms of physique and physical strength, they showed great spirit and determination. U20 Vietnam did not defend passively, but still regularly organized sharp counterattacks. When the score was 0-0, coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team almost took the lead when Van Khang hit the post.

However, in the 36th minute, U20 Iran got what they needed. From a set piece free kick on the left wing, defender Hazbavi jumped high and headed the ball into Van Binh's net, opening the score for Iran.

It was thought that U20 Vietnam would collapse, but once again the golden star warriors rose up and scored an equalizer after a beautiful combination and Van Khang was the one who fired a shot that tore the opponent's net.

At the end of the match, U20 Vietnam did not adjust their tactics in time when the players' physical strength was down. Therefore, the opponent increased the score to 3-1 and thereby said goodbye to the tournament.

After the match, coach Hoang Anh Tuan could not hide his regret.

After the match, coach Hoang Anh Tuan could not hide his regret: “On behalf of the entire team, I apologize to the Vietnamese fans. In this match, we did not complete our mission. And did not meet the great expectations of the fans. A tournament in which our players tried very hard and was extremely cruel to the tournament rules. 3 teams had the same score, in the end Vietnam was eliminated, which was very regrettable”, coach Hoang Anh Tuan shared his feelings.

Talking about letting the opponent take the lead again after equalizing the score, the coach of U20 Vietnam explained: “After we scored the equalizer, the game changed a lot, we prepared to change our tactics, but unfortunately the opponent scored a goal to make it 2-1. At that time, the tactical system was also broken and we could only try to kick the ball forward. We had many difficulties with the defense consisting of tall players of the Iranian team. And we no longer had the chance to equalize.”

Despite losing the match, coach Hoang Anh Tuan still had many compliments for his players. He was optimistic about the future of Vietnamese football with this talented next generation of players. “Actually, you saw, the performance of U20 Vietnam was not bad. There are many potential faces who will later develop for the National Team. The defense has Nguyen Hoang, goalkeeper Van Binh; Quoc Viet has a knack for scoring goals, Van Truong, Van Khang have all shown their talents. This generation of players has a lot of potential. They have matured a lot, met many strong opponents, and have high performance quality. In the 3 group stage matches, there was a player who was the best player twice, that was Van Khang. We should have faith, they are only 19-20 years old and have a lot of time ahead, some are even only 18 years old like Nguyen Hoang or Manh Hung, Van Binh. We put our faith in them. I believe that in the future, this generation will contribute a lot to Vietnam. The excellent performance of our players is also a sign for the future.”

The journey of U20 Vietnam at the U20 Asian Cup has ended, but this is just the beginning for this talented generation of players. With what coach Hoang Anh Tuan's students have shown, fans still have the right to expect a bright future for Vietnamese football.