QatarAli Jasim admitted that he was unlucky so he only scored one goal when Iraq defeated Vietnam 1-0 in the U23 Asian quarterfinals.
“I scored the only goal from a penalty, but I could have done better,” Jasim said after Iraq defeated Vietnam in the quarterfinals of the Asian U23 tournament, and was elected the best player of the match. “I was given many opportunities, but luck was not the same. The whole team also tried to score more goals, but failed. We should have handled it a little more calmly.”
Ali Jasim was happy to score the only goal to help Iraq overcome Vietnam in the quarterfinals of the U23 Asia 2024 on April 26. Image: AFC.
Iraq was rated higher, but had difficulty in the first 60 minutes when Vietnam chose a reasonable playing style and kept a good team distance. Coach Radhi Shenaishil’s team tried to break Vietnam’s defense system with high balls, but failed.
The turning point of the match took place in the 60th minute, when the score was 0-0. Quan Van Chuan collided with Nihad Mohammed in the forbidden area. The referee consulted VAR and decided to blow a penalty and at the same time gave the Vietnamese goalkeeper a yellow card. The slow motion shows that Van Chuan impacted Mohammed’s shoulder, causing the Iraqi striker to fall in a situation where the ball was out of control. From the 11m mark, Ali Jasim shot wide, defeating Van Chuan.
After conceding a goal, Vietnam tried to push the team higher and play more adventurously in search of a goal. This gives Iraq more space to attack. In the entire match, Iraq took 18 shots, eight times in the right direction, but only scored one goal.
Highlights Iraq – Vietnam
Main developments in the Iraq 1-0 Vietnam match.
“I am very happy to score and be voted the best player in the match. Congratulations to the team and Iraqi fans, we are having a great journey in this year’s tournament,” Jasim added.
Just like his students, coach Radhi Shenaishil is not satisfied with the victory over Vietnam. “The team won, but the players should have done better,” he said.
However, coach Shenaishil also sympathized with the fact that his students were under great pressure, praising them for “following the correct tactical instructions, trying to show their true abilities and not being discouraged”.
Overcoming Vietnam in the quarterfinals, Iraq will face Japan in the semi-finals.
| The U23 Asian Championship takes place in Qatar from April 15 to May 3, with 16 teams divided into four groups, each group with four teams playing in a round robin. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals and play knock-out. The two finalists and the winner of the third-place match will go straight to the men’s Olympic football Olympics, while the fourth-placed team will compete for a ticket with African representative Guinea. Watch Live Top Sports on FPT Play, at: https://fptplay.vn/ |
Lam Thoa
