At the beginning of the article, the author somewhat regretted U20 Vietnam: Thousands of Vietnamese fans at Jeonju World Cup Stadium just wanted to have a goal to celebrate in the final match of the tournament against U20 Honduras. They almost got it.
Nearly 270 minutes in this tournament passed for them, when the ball flew from Nguyen Quang Hai's left-footed shot, it seemed like this wait had ended. However, the ball did not go into the net after jumping the post along the U20 Honduras goal.
U20 Vietnam and the fans deserve to celebrate after 3 matches at the VCK U20 World Cup 2017. If that happens, they will probably celebrate like the winners of a final.
However, reporter John Duerden also pointed out that U20 Vietnam not going through the group stage of this year's tournament is not too disappointing, especially when compared to other teams in the region.
U20 Vietnam could not go further in the tournament. Only 2 Asian teams have passed the group stage in their first participation in the U20 World Cup in history. They were U20 UAE in 1997 and U20 Qatar in 1981, a tournament in which they only lost to U20 Tay Duc in the final.
U20 Vietnam is a good team but could not enter the next round in the first round of the tournament. U20 Japan had to make it to the group stage for the second time, U20 Korea lost 3 tournaments while U20 Saudi Arabia had to make it to the 7th time. The problem here is to learn lessons from the first time and return to the tournament more strongly.
The article also pointed out some problems of U20 Vietnam in this tournament: U20 Vietnam lacks danger in attacks. Asian teams often have difficulty scoring when appearing in this arena for the first time.
Striker Ha Duc Chinh did not achieve good form in the tournament. Meanwhile, midfielder Quang Hai often plays a deep position, which means that U20 Vietnam lacks human resources in the attack front.
In the final match against U20 Honduras, the defense was below normal when the defense sometimes seemed to fall asleep while the opponent was more energetic, faster and stronger.
The injury of defensive midfielder Bui Tien Dung is a big loss before the tournament and U20 Vietnam will certainly find it harder to overcome if the player is smart and diligent to appear on the field".
In addition, the author looked back at the performance of U20 Vietnam in all 3 matches: U20 Vietnam was full of confidence in the opening match against U20 New Zealand, trying to get a 0-0 draw. That is the foundation for facing one of the champions, France U20. Against such a strong and confident team aiming for the championship, at least U20 Vietnam had the best possible performance.
For U20 Honduras, they are not a "big guy" in world football but have participated in the tournament 7 times. The players can be different, but the Honduras Federation of Labor and the coaches in this country know exactly what they have to do.
U20 Vietnam always maintains an attractive playing style, develops the ball from the defense and tries to keep the ball. This is a team in the process of forming their identity and this tournament will help them.
Losing to U20 Honduras 0-2 but in the long run, Vietnamese football will have a bright future. The lesson learned from this tournament is to maintain youth training and, importantly, to participate in international tournaments as much as possible. In the next tournament, the Vietnamese guys can extend their journey even more.
In the matches of U20 Vietnam at the VCK U20 World Cup 2017, they were always supported by thousands of red shirt fans in the stands. The enthusiasm of the Vietnamese fans has been recognized by the World Federation of Labor (FIFA).
Reporter John Duerden wrote about this: The stands are the place where Vietnam performed best in this tournament. Except for host country Korea, no country has such a large number of fans.
In the 3 matches, U20 Vietnam always felt like playing at home. The fans were not only large but also full of enthusiasm. They sang and applauded behind the team throughout the 270 minutes of U20 Vietnam in the tournament.
Most of them are working in Korea, often in cities near the capital Seoul, and they come to have the opportunity to cheer for their home team, in traditional red costumes.
Both on and off the pitch, Vietnam has made its mark in the tournament. U20 Vietnam is not the best team but has gained valuable experiences and has a broader view of world football".
