U23 Vietnam beat U23 Chinese Taipei: Good start, good ending?

Of course, “witch”Coach Park Hang-seohad all the cards and strategies to break that uncomfortable stalemate after all the calculations in the first half did not lead to any results, especially the crosses or free kicks of Van Xuan from the left wing but Xuan Tu could not finish or Van Dat was unlucky when his header hit the crossbar.

Mr. Park also realized that the tension and surprise when the opponent clustered in many layers caused the players to pass wrongly, indirectly losing the game. Luckily, the opponent had great respect, did not have enough attacking power and had only that ability, so their few counter-attacks could not trouble the U23 Vietnam defense.

U23 Vietnam (red shirt) in the match against Chinese Taipei. Photo: Archive

The duo Xuan Tu - Van Dat were assigned to attack, playing highest up front, but after the first few minutes of opportunities, they gradually became "hungry" for the ball, forcing Van Dat to retreat deep. Meanwhile, Xuan Quyet had the opportunity to advance and Huu Thang retreated like an anchor midfielder, making the ball from afar with passes that landed at the right point as his forte. Mr. Park constantly shuffled the formation, seemingly aiming for chaos from the opponent, but that did not happen, forcing him to change, renew and put his "trump card" on the field. That was the appearance of Hai Long in the last 30 minutes of the second half and he was rewarded when the match entered the final minutes.

Not only the sidelines, crosses from both wings, since Hai Long entered the field, U23 Vietnam increased the rhythm of ball circulation, playing low, small and short balls, hitting directly from the middle, through the gap and down the sidelines. The opponent could not "read" Hai Long's skillful handling and dangerous passing situations, and could not imagine why a player who was a trigger like Van Xuan could be the "penalty area killer" like Van Xuan rising from the ground and then had to accept a clear defeat.

Striker Xuan Tu could not show much in this match. Photo: Internet

Follow the latest matches ofU23 Vietnam, although the nature of friendly matches and official tournaments are always different, it is possible to see the playing style, operation, and ability of each player clearly... It is not difficult for U23 Vietnam's opponents to gradually grasp all of Mr. Park Hang-seo's moves, even weak opponents like U23 Chinese Taipei.

To see and remember that Xuan Tu and Van Dat can play well and develop well when there is space to handle, but if the opponent is clustered in large numbers and has to play facing the opponent's goal, everything is very difficult. Huu Thang's recent decline in form is a question, but if he plays low and slow like now, he lacks the necessary creativity or breakthrough. That is seen in Hai Long, but if the opponent "figures out" here, who will be the new feature, the other surprise for the opponent is still open?

In the upcoming match against U23 Myanmar, Mr. Park's team has the advantage of having a longer rest period, and can "sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight" to watch the opponent's legs and feet to arrange their troops more carefully. But the long rest period is also a double-edged sword, while the opponent Myanmar is not easy to play, if not to say tough. Therefore, from the practical experience of the match against U23 Chinese Taipei, Mr. Park must be flexible, creating surprises for the opponent right from the first attack phase?

Van Xuan is the player who brought victory to U23 Vietnam. Photo: Internet

Coach Park Hang-seo still has some cards and strategies in his hand. Captain Van Toi has not yet played, and Manh Dung has not been used as a real striker, Hoang Anh has not yet had his long-range shots, Sy Hoang has not yet had his best crosses or passes...

It is normal to be confused and make mistakes in the opening match. Not only U23 Vietnam, but also U23 UAE, Thailand, Singapore… are all like that this time, because this is youth football, anything can happen. Therefore, what was shown in the first match, will most likely be overcome and promoted in the next match to get everything going in the right direction.

The road is still long, the deeper you go, the more precarious it becomes, so don't be quick to criticize when you see someone who hasn't entered the field or hasn't played well, then become pessimistic and lose confidence. Don't compare the U23 generations because football training players is not a mass "molding", the quality of the product is the same, but each generation, each training center has its own qualities to develop. Be patient and hope for Van Xuan, Hai Long and teammates when "the head is going well", when big tournaments are waiting ahead.