Vietnam U23 vs Japan U23 (1-0): The class of the continental runner-up
(Baonghean.vn) - In the match for pride, both coaches Park Hang-seo (Vietnam U23) and Moriyasu Hajime (Japan U23) declared they would win for the honor of their respective national flags. But in the end, only the South Korean coach managed to do so, although Quang Hai's goal was somewhat fortunate.
In a match that was essentially a formality against Japan U23, coach Park Hang-seo left Cong Phuong and Xuan Truong on the bench. He deployed Ha Duc Chinh as the central striker, while Van Toan played as a right midfielder in Vietnam U23's attack.
To this day, coach Park Hang-seo remains a rather secretive coach. Not many people can guess his intentions in arranging and selecting the lineup at the 18th Asian Games. In the three matches starting with a 3-4-3 formation, coach Park Hang-seo fielded three different lineups. Only the three central defenders Van Hau, Tien Dung, and Dinh Trong, along with goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung, were present in all three matches.
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| Vietnam U23 starting lineup. Photo: Internet |
The unexpected 1-2 defeat of defending champions South Korea U23 to Malaysia U23 prevented the Northeast Asian representatives from topping Group E. Therefore, in Group D, neither Vietnam nor Japan will face the defending champions in the Round of 16, regardless of which team finishes first or second in their respective groups.
However, if they finish top of Group D, they will enter a bracket that will likely include U23 South Korea and U23 Iran. But both coaches, Park Hang-seo (U23 Vietnam) and Moriyasu Hajime (U23 Japan), have declared that they will be determined to win for the honor of their country and are not afraid of South Korea.
As the runners-up in the Asian Championship, Coach Park Hang-seo's decision was fully supported by Vietnamese experts and fans. Coach Park wanted to create momentum for the players, emphasizing that they should not be intimidated by any opponent.
Entering the match with such determination, in the 3rd minute, defender Yuta Makiza miscontrolled the ball after receiving a pass from goalkeeper Obi Powell Obinna. Van Toan intercepted the ball before passing it to Quang Hai, who shot it into the net, opening the scoring for the Vietnamese Olympic team.
Throughout the match, with the mobility of Van Quyet and the four midfielders including Duy Manh, Van Thanh, Van Quyet, and Hung Dung controlling the midfield area very well, Coach Park Hang Seo's players tried to contest every ball, not giving Kouta, Yuta, Daizen and their teammates space and time to threaten Bui Tien Dung's goal.
Find the midfield boss.
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| Quang Hai scored the only goal of the match. Photo: Internet |
Coach Park Hang-seo takes advantage of matches like these to continue experimenting with the team's lineup, and so far, the central midfield position has been the most frequently tested.
In this match, Hung Dung and Quang Hai were the central midfield pairing in the starting lineup. Towards the end of the first half, Hung Dung suffered an injury and was unable to continue playing. He left the field, making way for Duc Huy, and the central midfield pair then focused solely on defensive duties. The role of creating chances fell to Van Quyet.
When needing to play slowly and keep possession of the ball for as long as possible, coach Park Hang-seo brought Van Duc on to replace Quang Hai. At this point, the central midfield pair were Duc Huy and Van Quyet, while Van Duc played on the wing.
At this point, the game was much better. Van Duc came on and made a great assist, but Ha Duc Chinh couldn't capitalize on the opportunity when facing goalkeeper Obinna. The player from Nghe An also had a chance to score himself but failed to convert.
What's rather puzzling is that despite conceding an early goal, coach Moriyasu Hajime instructed the Japanese U23 players to play quite slowly, using many long passes. This didn't pose any difficulty for the Vietnamese defense, who switched to a four-man defense by having Van Hau play in a deeper position.
Even when the Vietnamese players deliberately slowed down the pace of the game, coach Moriyasu Hajime's players were not in a hurry to push the game forward.
But that didn't diminish the faith in Coach Park Hang-seo and his team. We won all three group stage matches, scored six goals, conceded none, and deservedly topped Group D.
Goal: Quang Hai (3')
Starting lineup:
Vietnam U23: Bui Tien Dung, Van Hau, Tien Dung, Dinh Trong, Duy Manh, Van Thanh, Van Quyet, Hung Dung, Quang Hai, Van Toan, Duc Chinh.
Japan U23: Obinna, Daiki, Teruki, Yugo, Ryo, Kaoru, Koji, Keita, Kouta, Yuta, Daizen
