Coach Duc Thang: “U23 Vietnam needs to neutralize the physical play of U23 Iraq”

*The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Iraq will take place at 0:30 tomorrow morning (April 27, Vietnam time), at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (Qatar). Dan Tri will report on this match.

In your opinion, is U23 Vietnam capable of causing a surprise against U23 Iraq in the quarter-finals of the Asian tournament?

– In football, anything can happen. In theory, U23 Vietnam is rated lower than U23 Iraq. However, in the squad of U23 Vietnam, there are factors that can create mutations, thereby creating a surprise for U23 Iraq, if we apply reasonable tactics against the opponent.

Specifically, U23 Vietnam has Khuat Van Khang, a good free kick player who can cause mutations in fixed situations. In addition, we also have striker Bui Vi Hao with a modern playing style. This is a player who has improved a lot in this year’s U23 Asian Championship.

I think that in the quarterfinals against U23 Iraq, Bui Vi Hao can be used from the start, instead of just coming on the field in the second half from the bench like in previous matches.

Specifically, against U23 Iraq, what is the reasonable playing style and reasonable strategy for the U23 Vietnam team, sir?

– Counter-attacking defense is still the appropriate playing style for U23 Vietnam when facing strong opponents. Iraqi football in general, and Iraqi U23 in particular, have strengths in body shape and physical strength, so it is very difficult for our players to compete with them on equal terms if they play doubles.

As far as I know, U23 Iraq has good physique and is in the top 3 of the tournament, while the average height of U23 Vietnamese players is the worst in the tournament, meaning the difference in physique between the two sides is not small.

Is there any difference between the U23 Kuwait team that the U23 Vietnam team encountered in the group stage, or the U23 Saudi Arabia that we just avoided in the quarterfinals, compared to U23 Iraq?

– Teams like Iran and Iraq are different from Arab teams, in that Iran and Iraq are physically strong, play more with strength, play faster, and have the outline of European football.

Meanwhile, Arab teams like Saudi Arabia or Kuwait play more technically. This is a significant difference that the U23 Vietnam team needs to pay attention to.

However, at the team level, Vietnamese football has many times surprised teams in the West Asian region in general.

As for the journey of the U23 Vietnam team from the beginning of the U23 Asian Championship until now, has anything changed compared to when the team was still led by coach Philippe Troussier?

– Under current coach Hoang Anh Tuan, the U23 Vietnam team plays more knowingly. In the early stages, coach Hoang Anh Tuan also encountered some difficulties, the team had deviations in coordination.

However, the more they played, the more the team’s fluency increased, thanks to the players and coach Hoang Anh Tuan having more time to work together. They have more time to learn from previous matches.

Currently, U23 Vietnamese players are confident in playing football, and the team’s spirit is also improving after each match. This is the premise for U23 Vietnam to surprise U23 Iraq. Like I said, in football, anything can happen.

Thank you for the discussion!