After two consecutive victories against U23 Jordan and U23 Kyrgyzstan, U23 Vietnam entered the final round of Group A with great self-determination. The match against U23 Saudi Arabia is crucial to the ticket to the quarterfinals for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
With 6 points after two matches, U23 Vietnam is leading Group A. The most favorable scenario is not to lose to the home team. Just needing to gain 1 more point or win against U23 Saudi Arabia, Dinh Bac and his teammates will definitely be at the top of the group with a minimum of 7 points, thereby entering the quarter-finals.
In case U23 Vietnam loses, the door to the next round is still not closed. If U23 Jordan does not win against U23 Kyrgyzstan, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will still maintain second place in the group with 6 points and win a ticket to the knockout round.
The most difficult situation occurred when U23 Vietnam lost to U23 Saudi Arabia, and U23 Jordan won against U23 Kyrgyzstan. At that time, the 3 teams Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Jordan will have 6 points. According to the tournament regulations, the ranking will be determined based on the direct head-to-head record between the three teams, before considering goal difference.
In this group of opponents, Vietnam defeated Jordan 2-0, Jordan defeated Saudi Arabia 3-2. Therefore, U23 Vietnam will only be disadvantaged if they lose to U23 Saudi Arabia with a difference of 3 goals or more. In case of defeat with a close score or a difference of no more than 2 goals, U23 Vietnam still has a chance to rank above Jordan and win a ticket to the quarterfinals.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Saudi Arabia will take place at 11:30 PM on January 12.
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