Vietnam - Cambodia: 2-1: Incomplete joy!

(Baonghean.vn) - The 2-1 victory over Cambodia has helped Vietnam advance to the semi-finals as the top team in Group B. Obviously, domestic football fans will give Coach Huu Thang and his team sweet praise filled with faith and hope.

However, it is worth mentioning that the defense's carelessness caused Dinh Luat to receive a red card and Cong Phuong to be forced to leave the field in regret. Obviously, our joy cannot be complete...

“Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every battle.” That’s right, Coach Huu Thang knows very well the dangerous counter-attacking style of the “Angkor warriors”. Therefore, to secure the top spot and advance to the semi-finals, the coach from Nghe An was very cautious when fielding a strong squad, with only a few changes when two key players, Hoang Thinh and Xuan Truong, were “put” on the bench. In particular, facing the threat of Vathanaka, the captain born in 1972 kept the same quartet of defenders, including Au Van Hoan, Ngoc Hai, Dinh Luat and Van Thanh.

Obviously, Vathanaka is really fast, always putting pressure on the defense of Malaysia and Myanmar. That is obvious to everyone and the defense of the Vietnam team should be the ones to feel it most clearly to be alert, to always be ready to block.

Dinh Luat's red card was the fault of the entire defense system.

However, the defense that had stood firm in the “Group B final” against Malaysia continued to make regrettable mistakes. In the 7th minute, center back Dinh Luat was given a taste of the game by the “golden boy” of Cambodia when he handled the ball slowly just outside the 16m50 box, giving Vathanaka the opportunity to rush in and compete and pass. In a situation where there were no teammates to cover, Dinh Luat had no choice but to commit a foul. Because, if he did not do so, Nguyen Manh would almost certainly have to go in and pick up the ball.

Although the direct red card that this central defender received was a somewhat heavy-handed decision by the “King of the Field”, perhaps the Vietnamese national team’s defense in general and Dinh Luat in particular should blame themselves first. Blame for their carelessness, blame for their overconfidence and their complacency in underestimating their opponents, despite all the warnings that the media and coach Huu Thang had discussed many times before the match.

Dinh Luat's mistake forced coach Huu Thang to decide to make an early substitution. The chosen one was central defender Bui Tien Dung. That is not a problem when Que Ngoc Hai needs someone to play alongside him, not only for this match but also to prepare for the first leg of the semi-final. What Vietnamese fans are concerned about is the "consequences" of the red card and the one who suffers the most is Cong Phuong.

The fact that Cong Phuong had to leave the field after only 16 minutes made fans regretful.

The fact that the striker from Do Luong had to leave the field too early was regretful. A young striker who had shown outstanding technical qualities in the U19 National team but was participating in the AFF Cup for the first time, it was impossible for him to compete with experienced seniors like Cong Vinh and Van Quyet. Therefore, when Cong Phuong was able to play from the beginning, fans were very hopeful that he would have the opportunity to show his technical qualities. However, Dinh Luat's red card ruined that opportunity.

Vietnam won 2-1 against Cambodia thanks to the experience and bravery of both the coach and the players. Cong Vinh had a bright smile thanks to the beautiful opening goal from Van Toan's pass, clearing the mind after the deadlocked minutes, especially when Vietnam was playing with one less player. However, with the concerns in the defense and the regret for Cong Phuong, it cannot be said that this was a match that brought complete satisfaction./.

Kim Thuy