U23 Vietnam: Awakening the power of the attack

Even the host U23 Vietnam, the reigning champion, did not defend their title as expected by the coaching staff and fans.

Strong teams such as U23 Thailand, U23 Indonesia, U23 Malaysia... have also revealed different weaknesses through group matches, showing that regional football has had few positive changes recently, but on the contrary, it is still struggling with countless difficulties and obstacles. Reality has clearly shown that vicious cycle when Vietnamese football with the national team reached the third round of the 2022 World Cup but when playing at the AFF Cup, they could not achieve the desired results. Similarly, the U23 Indonesia team was promoted to "training" in the national team, played well with the runner-up achievement of the 2021 AFF Cup, but when returning to the U23 youth playground at this SEA Games, they immediately fell miserably before their opponent of the same age, U23 Vietnam.

Training session of Vietnam U23 team. Photo courtesy of Hai Hoang

In the group A and B round of men's footballSEA Games 31This time, it is very strange that the strong teams, although they could eventually make it to the semi-finals, all revealed a very noticeable Achilles' heel. That is, U23 Vietnam could not penetrate the defensive style of U23 Philippines; U23 Indonesia, when meeting U23 Vietnam again, was deadlocked and completely disintegrated their sharp wing play and tight central defense before; U23 Thailand started with a loose defense, lacking coordination against U23 Malaysia; and U23 Malaysia itself did not ensure physical strength for the long-distance race, so they had to constantly chase their neighbors who did not play well, U23 Singapore... Not to mention the teams that started off well, such as U23 Philippines, U23 Myanmar, U23 Cambodia... but the more they played, the weaker they became, especially in the context of playing continuously for 2 days/match, so they could not have their name in the expected semi-finals.

Of course, the traditional teams in the region such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, although they soon revealed weaknesses that could make the race difficult, they still quickly adjusted themselves, overcoming their limitations and weaknesses to gradually rise up. U23 Indonesia, after being doused with cold water in the opening match, was able to regain their position, especially in the match against U23 Philippines (4-0). Similarly, U23 Thailand, after losing the opening match due to a very forgettable red card of a key midfielder, immediately "pounded" U23 Singapore 5-0. These teams are becoming more and more solid and formidable in the eyes of their opponents.

U23 Vietnam did not meet the requirements in the first leg. Photo courtesy of Hai Hoang

However, the story ofU23 Vietnamand U23 Malaysia is going in another direction, more interesting. That is, after winning the opening match, U23 Vietnam continuously encountered deadlocks in matches against opponents who were clustered and had many layers of defense against U23 Philippines and U23 Myanmar. Meanwhile, U23 Malaysia had to struggle to get a 2-2 draw against U23 Singapore, who had lost continuously before, which is an undeniable fact about the long-term strength of this young team.

Many people know that nowadays, any opponent in the region, whenever meeting the Vietnam National Team or U23 Vietnam, must first worry about defense and defend tightly, ensuring not to lose before thinking about counterattacking to finish off the opponent. This means that Vietnamese football is increasingly facing difficulties, even against weak opponents. From here, Mr. Park Hang-seo and his team must quickly adapt to a new style of play, proactively attacking, completely different from the traditional style of play that has made success in recent years, which is defense-counterattack. Unfortunately, this important and urgent problem cannot be solved overnight.

Remember the 2021 U23 Asian qualifiers, U23 Vietnam only scored 2 goals in 2 matches against U23 Myanmar (Thanh Minh scored) and U23 Chinese Taipei (Van Xuan scored), just enough to win 3 points each match and enter the final round. At the recent Dubai International U23 Friendly Tournament, in 3 matches against strong teams, U23 Vietnam could not score any goals. In the last two friendly matches before the SEA Games took place, U23 Vietnam also only scored 1 goal each match (Van Toi, Van Tung scored). To see, the offensive strength of U23 Vietnam was a matter of concern in advance and the goal drought of U23 Vietnam at this SEA Games is a real concern when the upcoming matches have no room for deadlock and dullness?

U23 Vietnam is really doing well thanks to the solidity, explosiveness and effectiveness of the players over 23 years old. Defending the SEA Games gold medal will therefore be very difficult, from the qualifying round to the semi-finals, the finals and even Mr. Park Hang-seo does not dare to boldly declare anything, while the opponents are challenging every day, every match? The answer mainly lies in awakening the strength of the attack, from potential names but are silent like Van Xuan, Thanh Minh, Van Tung, Manh Dung...?.