U23 Vietnam closed the group stage with a 0-2 defeat to U23 Uzbekistan and ranked 2nd in Group D. With the above achievement, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team will face U23 Iraq in the quarterfinals. U23 Iraq is the first champion of the 2013 Asian U23 tournament taking place in Oman. In 2018, they were eliminated by U23 Vietnam in the quarterfinals after an 11m penalty shootout (draw 3-3 after 120 minutes).
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan shared in the press conference before the quarter-final match against U23 Iraq: “Now we are fully focused on tomorrow’s match against Iraq U23. In the past, Vietnam met Iraq at many levels and had many failures, but that does not mean that history will continue. In football, the difference in strength does not necessarily determine the team’s victory. To win, you must combine many factors.”
“In football, you can’t say anything until you play. We have prepared ourselves professionally and mentally. Competition regulations need to take into account extra time and penalty shootouts. Those things have had clear preparations and are ready, no matter what situation the match goes to.” – Coach Hoang Anh Tuan said
In Group C, 2024 AFC U23 Finals, after the loss on the opening day against Thailand U23, Iraq U23 has regained its high form with a 4-2 victory over Tajikistan U23 and especially a 2-1 victory against A very strong opponent is U23 Saudi Arabia.
Goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan said he highly appreciated Iraq’s attack when they scored 6 goals in the group stage. Talking about the opponent’s attack, goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan commented that Iraq U23 plays very diversely. “They attacked the middle and crossed in from both sides. We will try to overcome and counter their crosses most effectively, while pushing the opponent away from the goal. Iraq U23 has a very diverse playing style. We will have to set the defense system at the highest alert level, repel attack situations as far away from the goal as possible.”
Meanwhile, coach Radhi Shenaishil of U23 Iraq shared: “Those who follow East Asian football will understand that countries like Vietnam and Indonesia always have long-term plans to develop football. That’s the culture here, just like Japan or Korea. I really like U23 Vietnam. They have aspirations and goals for themselves, which is to reach the U23 Asian semi-finals. Therefore, U23 Iraq must prepare very carefully, respect U23 Vietnam, we must practice hard because we understand that we will have to face strong opponents. The players must prepare mentally.”
Midfielder Muntadher Mohammed of U23 Iraq affirmed: “U23 Vietnam is a very strong team. I’ve faced them before. In the group stage, Iraq U23 did not play well against Thailand U23. Therefore, we must be very careful in this match against U23 Vietnam to avoid repeating mistakes. U23 Iraq must commit not to make mistakes in the quarter-finals, that is extremely important. Our mission is to defeat U23 Vietnam. U23 Iraq needs absolute focus.”
The quarter-final match between Vietnam U23 team and Iraq U23 team will take place at Al Janoub Stadium at 8:30 p.m. on April 26 local time (0:30 a.m. April 27 Vietnam time).
Tags: U23 Vietnam ready extra time penalty shootout U23 Iraq
