After losing 2-3 to U23 Jordan right at home, the situation in Group A became unpredictable as all 4 teams still had a chance to win tickets to the quarterfinals. In that context, U23 Saudi Arabia was forced to win, even with a large margin, if they wanted to decide their own fate.
Sharing before the match, coach Di Biagio emphasized the spirit and preparation of the West Asian team: "We need to forget the defeat to U23 Jordan to focus on recovering fitness, studying the opponent and preparing for the decisive match with U23 Vietnam. This is a very unpredictable match and a last chance for U23 Saudi Arabia, so everyone must play with the highest spirit to win".
The Italian coach highly appreciates the strength of U23 Vietnam, a team that is showing convincing form at the tournament. After two rounds of matches, coach Kim Sang-sik's team won all matches, temporarily leading Group A and holding a great advantage in the race to win tickets to continue.
Commenting on the opponent, the U23 Saudi Arabia coach said: "U23 Vietnam is a strong opponent. Vietnamese players are quick, young and organize well. We need to plan carefully and seriously to win tickets to the quarterfinals".
On the side of U23 Vietnam, the red shirt team only needed a draw to definitely top the group. However, the coaching staff still clearly showed determination to aim for victory. In the match against U23 Kyrgyzstan, coach Kim Sang-sik proactively rotated the squad, kept some key players on the bench and only fielded them in the second half to ensure fitness for the decisive stage.
In addition, U23 Vietnam is likely to welcome the return of striker Thanh Nhan in the last group stage match, thereby increasing the attacking options.
The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Saudi Arabia will take place at 11:30 PM on January 12.
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