Vietnam U23 team aims for 'all-around offensive and defensive capabilities'.

However, in their fifth encounter, the Vietnam U23 team managed a 1-1 draw against South Korea U23, and even had a chance to take the lead at the end of the match when playing with a man advantage in the recent Group C match of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship. What accounts for this "miracle" from the Vietnam U23 team under their new South Korean coach, Gong Oh-kyun, following the recent resounding successes under the Park Hang-seo era?

As many people know, coach Gong Oh-kyun advocates that the Vietnam U23 team will always enter matches with an attacking mindset, even against the reigning champions South Korea U23 with their formidable squad. He believes there is "no plan for a draw" but rather a strategy of "fighting and winning," which is completely different from before, even for the most optimistic observers.

The match showed that, despite wanting to attack, the Vietnam U23 team first had to organize their defense well, preventing any goals from being conceded, in order to have any hope of achieving anything against an opponent with superior class, physique, and stamina. The South Korea U23 team held possession for over 70%, unleashed 11 shots, but only 2 were on target and they only managed to score one goal. This demonstrates that the Vietnam U23 team organized their defense to the best of their ability, limiting all of their opponent's attacking options to the greatest extent possible.

Vu Tien Long scored a goal to help Vietnam U23 draw with South Korea U23. (Photo: Ngoc Duy)

Experts point out that, in addition to the unwavering determination and fearlessness of the coaching staff and individual players, the professional competence and ability to connect the entire system are also crucial.Vietnam U23That's what made that encouraging result possible.

After the match against U23 Thailand, the attacking capabilities and effectiveness of U23 Vietnam were recognized, but conceding equalizing goals after twice taking the lead revealed serious problems in the team's defensive system, causing the team to lose the necessary balance, with the offense undermining the defense in a very harmful way.

But with what they showed in the match against South Korea U23, the depth, tightness, and flexibility of Vietnam U23's defense have been confirmed. The connection and communication between each line and the entire system, as well as the distance between lines during defense and transitions, were always maintained. Except for one instance of pushing forward and being vulnerable to a dangerous counter-attack (thanks to Viet Anh's timely interception to block the final shot), overall, Vietnam U23 passed a valuable "test" against a high-class opponent thanks to a defense system that performed as well as possible. This is also how coach Gong Oh-kyun gradually alleviated concerns about defensive duties when the team shifted to a primarily attacking style of play. It's not a matter of "compensating for defense with offense," but rather a flexible approach where attack is a form of defense and defense is the springboard for attack.

Against a top-class opponent like South Korea U23, the fact that Vietnam U23 only managed 4 shots on goal throughout the entire match, with defender Tien Long surprisingly emerging from nowhere to receive and shoot twice, including a "superb" goal, is a success that far exceeded many people's expectations. It's a unique and distinctive aspect of Coach Gong's tactical guidance and personnel management.

A ball contest between players from the Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 teams. Photo: VNA

While praising and appreciating the Vietnamese U23 team's performance in this match, we must also remember that the South Korean U23 team made five changes compared to their previous 4-1 victory over Malaysia U23. Among these changes, "the brain" Lee Chang-in was rested due to a minor injury, according to renowned head coach Hwang Sun-hong. The Vietnamese U23 team's equalizer against their superior opponent was thanks to their calmness and confidence in counter-attacking when opportunities arose, forcing the opponent to commit fouls, resulting in yellow cards and a player being sent off towards the end of the match…

Two consecutive draws in the group stage of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Championship still show the progress and maturity of the Vietnam U23 team, opening up an opportunity for the team to reach the quarterfinals for the second time if they achieve a good result against Malaysia U23, who have already been eliminated after two losses, and other favorable data in the group.

A truly young team, with two 18-year-old players and only two "senior" players over 21, confidently competing against seasoned opponents from across the continent and the world, is truly "rare and hard to find," full of hope for the new stages of the competition. And most importantly, Vietnamese football is gradually achieving initial results in its rebuilding and renewal process with a new tactical system and philosophy, determined not to let opponents "figure out" and hinder it with a young, energetic resource. The U23 team under coach Gong Oh-kyun is a reliable and promising example of this.