U22 Vietnam - U22 Macau: Rain of goals at Thong Nhat Stadium?

(Baonghean.vn) - We don't know if the meteorologist's forecast about the rain this afternoon (July 21) at Thong Nhat Stadium is accurate, but a 'rain of goals' on the U22 Macau goal will definitely happen.

In the second match of Group I of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, U22 Macau will face host U22 Vietnam. Remember, in the 2016 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers that took place 2 years ago, U23 Vietnam defeated U23 Macau (China) 7-0 in a naval battle at Shah Alam Stadium (Malaysia).

In this match, Thanh Binh and Cong Phuong scored hat-tricks along with a goal from Ngoc Thang. Coach Tam Lao San, who also led U22 Macau 2 years ago, said: most of the Macau squad is only 18 to 19 years old.

Some players in the team are still students or working, they come to football simply for fun. Currently, Macau is rejuvenating its force, with 12/20 players born from 1997 onwards.

Chance for squad 2

Against an opponent considered weaker, this is a good opportunity for coach Huu Thang to use the second team, while keeping the key players for the key match against U22 Korea at 7:00 p.m. on July 23.

U22 Macau (blue) has many amateur players. Photo: Dung Nguyen

No one can predict anything before the ball rolls, but clearly, the possibility of U22 Vietnam winning against U22 Korea is very low. It is more realistic to leave the key players on the bench to get a favorable result against the current runner-up of the tournament. Even just a slight loss against U22 Korea, the chance for U22 Vietnam to enter the top 5 second-place teams with the best results is quite high.

It is likely that U22 Vietnam will play a 4-4-2 formation with many changes, from the goal to all 3 lines. Names like Van Thanh, Tuan Anh, Van Khanh and Cong Phuong will likely be given a rest after the "water battle on Thong Nhat River".

The midfield will be reserved for Xuan Truong, returning from suspension with Dong Trieu, the left wing Quang Hai will be given a chance. Thanh Binh will certainly be given a chance to warm up against Macau's defense which is said to "not know all the tricks yet".

Captain Tien Dung will most likely play with center back Dinh Trong and left back Van Hau will have his second match in the U22 Vietnam shirt. Facing players with not-so-excellent skills like Chu Kai Wang and Wantin Lao, defenders Van Kien and Van Hau will surely gradually gain experience.

People are waiting to see how the U22 coaching staff will use Duy Manh when Xuan Truong returns. In the recent match against U22 East Timor, in addition to his ability to block from afar, Duy Manh was the one who created the goal for Tuan Anh to score the winning goal, sealing a 4-0 victory for U22 Vietnam. As a versatile player, Duy Manh also played as a central defender for Hanoi thanks to his tall physique and good ability to read the game.

Prepare multiple options

Many people blame VFF for being "cheap" and organizing the 2018 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers in Ho Chi Minh City, which is incorrect. In fact, even in Hanoi, there are often long rains at this time, so if they want to win, the U22 Vietnam team must have many options.

After the "water battle", many players of the main U22 Vietnam team will be given a rest by the coaching staff in the match against U22 Macau. Photo: Dung Nguyen

Lineup 2, if facing a deadlock against U22 Macau, Coach Huu Thang will send Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong and Van Thanh onto the field from the bench. These are the names that played very impressively in the recent match against U22 East Timor.

Our goal is to score as many goals as possible and U22 Macau is an opportunity for the players to shoot at the goal. Even if it doesn't rain and the field is dry, U22 Vietnam can still play with a 3-4-3 formation like U22 Korea played against a team of Macau students.

The defense with names like Cheong Tin Long, Kam Chi Hou, Wa Seng, Wang Keng, although strong, does not cover well, moves quite slowly and often makes mistakes. Hopefully Quang Hai and Xuan Truong will have the opportunity to show off their free kick skills in this match.

Fans are looking forward to seeing a “rain of goals” against goalkeeper Lo Weng Hou at Thong Nhat Stadium. More importantly, they are seeing young Vietnamese players gradually improving in each pass and shot.

N@T