On the afternoon of April 25 (Vietnam time), coach Hoang Anh Tuan and goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan of U23 Vietnam attended the press conference before the quarter-final match of the 2024 U23 Asian Championship against U23 Iraq.
Head coach of U23 Vietnam said: “In the group stage, U23 Vietnam had 2 good matches winning against U23 Kuwait and U23 Malaysia to get a place in the early quarterfinals. In the last match, we lost. U23 Uzbekistan and that was predicted because the opponent is a strong team.
That loss was not our plan for choosing an opponent in the quarterfinals. When going forward, meeting strong teams in the Middle East such as Iraq or Saudi Arabia is the same. We have respect for both teams. I said from the group stage to the players that the opponents are strong, so we can win, draw or lose. Any possibility is possible.
The loss to U23 Uzbekistan did not affect the players’ morale because no matter what, we still had to play the quarterfinals. Only 1 of the 2 teams will advance after this match. No matter which team it is, we are very happy, but if it is U23 Vietnam, that would be great.”
In the past, Vietnamese football often had poor results when facing Iraq. However, the Khanh Hoa military leader affirmed that in football, what happened in the past does not mean that history will continue.
“The difference in force and expertise will not necessarily determine victory. Everything can completely change. I hope, history will change tomorrow,” Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan said.
The head coach of U23 Vietnam shared that U23 Vietnam has carefully calculated and prepared according to every scenario for the match against U23 Iraq in the quarterfinals.
“In the group stage, Iraq U23 lost to Thailand U23 0-2. That doesn’t mean Iraq U23 is weak but it also doesn’t mean Vietnam U23 can’t do the same thing.
Until the ball rolls, nothing can be said in advance. All preparations are secret. According to the rules, the match can go into extra time and a penalty shootout. U23 Vietnam is prepared and ready, no matter what situation the match takes place,” coach Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan said: “My goal and the whole team’s goal is to try our best in each match. U23 Vietnam has worked hard to reach the quarterfinals. We are always ready to compete with U23 Iraq tomorrow. What the whole team has prepared will be shown in the upcoming match.
I watched a few matches and saw the attacking style of Iraq U23. In the match against U23 Saudi Arabia, they attacked in a variety of ways, from midfield attacks to cross-field shots. We will try to prevent attacks, especially crosses, to keep the ball and their players as far away from U23 Vietnam’s goal as possible.”
Regarding U23 Iraq, coach Radhi Shenaishil said: “I like U23 Vietnam very much. They have aspirations and goals for themselves, which is to reach the semi-finals of U23 Asia. Therefore, U23 Iraq respects opponents and must prepare very carefully.
The results of the upcoming competition also depend on many factors, including the skills of the players or the coaching ability and tactical intentions of the coaching staff.
U23 Vietnam is very strong. However, Iraq U23 has its own goals. The Iraqi U23 players are very happy to receive support from the domestic football industry, which is the motivation for them to move forward.”
With midfielder Muntadher Mohammed of U23 Iraq, he shared: “U23 Vietnam is a strong team. I have faced them before. In the group stage, U23 Iraq did not play well against U23 Thailand. So we We need to avoid repeating this mistake against U23 Vietnam. The whole team needs to be absolutely focused if they want to win.”
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Iraq will take place at 00:30 on April 27 (Vietnam time).
