Coach Hoang Anh Tuan: 'Vietnam U20 must control emotions'
* Vietnam - Iran: 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, on MetaSports.
Vietnam is not appreciated when participating in the 2023 Asian U20 finals, especially when falling into Group B with many formidable opponents. But teachers and students Hoang Anh Tuan surprised with a tight defensive play and effective counter-attack, respectively defeating Australia 1-0 and Qatar 2-1.
Although leading, Vietnam is not sure to enter the quarterfinals. The team needs to win or draw with Iran in the last leg to continue without worrying about the outcome of the Qatar - Australia match. "Vietnam's players are very happy after the victories. I am also happy. But they still have to control their emotions because the journey is still long. We have to express our emotions at the right time and in the right place," Mr. Tuan replied. Interview on the information page of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on the morning of March 6.
Iran comes from a strong football background in Asia. They started with a 1-0 victory over Qatar, before suddenly losing to Australia 2-3. Therefore, the West Asian team must defeat Vietnam at all costs to have a door to the quarterfinals.
"I know what Iran is like and also understand who the home team is. If we lose to Iran, we may lose everything," Mr. Tuan said. "Therefore, the team must focus and try their best. Whether the opponent is Australia, Qatar or Iran, we will have to go into the match with respect."
Six points after two matches is the best achievement that Vietnam has earned in the history of Asian U20 appearances. Regarding the secret of success, Mr. Tuan said that it all lies in careful preparation, entering the match with concentration and effort from the first minutes and only relaxing when the battle is over. "Players know what I want from them," he said.
The Asian U20 tournament is counted as the 2023 FIFA World Cup U20 qualifier. If Vietnam enters the semi-finals, Vietnam will win tickets to the world tournament taking place in Indonesia.
Coach Hoang Anh Tuan once helped Vietnam's 11-a-side football to be present at the World Cup for the first time. In the group stage of the 2016 Asian U19 Championship, he and his students won tickets to the knockout round despite having to face North Korea, Iraq and the UAE. The team then continued to shock when defeating host Bahrain to enter the semi-finals, and also won tickets to the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2017.
