Things to worry about
Coach Kim Sang-sik frankly shared: Today the match took place in hot weather but we had good results. In the second half, U23 Vietnam had many opportunities but failed to take advantage. The opposing team's goalkeeper excellently saved many times. Overall, I am not satisfied but the whole team will improve to prepare for the next matches".
In fact, U23 Vietnam created no less than 6 clear scoring opportunities, but many shots were denied by the crossbar and post or lacked accuracy. If we had taken advantage better, the gap could have been much larger. This shows that the young strikers' ability to convert opportunities into goals has not met expectations, especially when the next opponents are rated higher than U23 Bangladesh.
Football expert Phan Anh Tu also gave a perspective: "We should not only look at the FIFA rankings to evaluate opponents. U23 Bangladesh has made great progress in terms of technique, ball handling and playing style. Their weakness is the depth of their strength, so they could not maintain their fitness in the second half. U23 Vietnam thanks to physical advantages and the mobility of players coming on as substitutes to solve the match".
One of the notable highlights was Nguyen Dinh Bac's performance. This player is considered to have good technique and ability to connect the playing style, bringing breakthroughs in attacking coordination.
Expert Phan Anh Tu commented: "Dinh Bac is a player with good technique and connectivity. This could be an experiment to create more tactical options. He can play in many positions, suitable for each opponent and different strategies.
Vietnamese-American striker Viktor Le also left his mark. Viktor's enthusiasm has caused the U23 Bangladesh defense to fall into a passive position many times.
Playing style and problems ahead
U23 Vietnam makes good use of airstrikes to score, but according to expert Phan Anh Tu, this should only be considered an alternative tactical option: " raised balls is just an option when the opponent's defense is too deep with the majority in the penalty area. If the opponent plays freely, U23 Vietnam can completely deploy their blows or make quick bounces.
This means that, to go far, the team needs to improve their teamwork ability, processing speed and finishing accuracy. Lack of patience or impatience can make it difficult for U23 Vietnam to face opponents who defend disciplinedly and counterattack well.
After the opening match, U23 Vietnam will face U23 Singapore and U23 Yemen. These are all teams with a solid physical foundation and playing style.
Coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized: "The level of all 4 teams in Group C is the same. The most important thing is physical strength, because hot weather affects the players a lot. We have to prepare carefully for the next matches.
Expert Phan Anh Tu also analyzed: Youth teams always enter the game with a high determination. U23 Vietnam has a stable squad, good depth but lacks a bit of sophistication in finishing. If we take advantage of the home field advantage, we have a great opportunity to continue as group winners.
The opening victory is always important, not only bringing 3 points but also creating a positive attitude for the whole team. With what they have shown, U23 Vietnam is still expected to be able to compete for the top spot. However, clearly, the team needs to make the most of opportunities, avoid repeating waste like the match against U23 Bangladesh.
The upcoming matches promise many challenges as Singapore and Yemen are both well prepared. This will be an opportunity for U23 Vietnam to prove their mettle, flexibility in tactics as well as the adaptability of new factors. Success in the qualifying round is not only a ticket to the final round, but also an important stepping stone to build a force for the SEA Games and further the national team.
