AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers: U20 Vietnam suffers a disappointing defeat against U20 Syria
In the final match (September 29), despite their efforts, U20 Vietnam could not secure their fate and lost to U20 Syria 0-1.
30/09/2024 10:17:44
In the first half, Cong Phuong and his teammates created a favorable situation against U20 Syria. In fact, a draw would have given U20 Vietnam a great chance to advance. However, in the second half, U20 Vietnam conceded a goal due to an unfortunate play. This was also the only goal of the match.
Coach Hứa Hiền Vinh stated: “As you know, U20 Vietnam only needed 1 point to advance, so I instructed the team to play defensively and rely on counterattacks. However, we conceded a goal in a very unfortunate situation. U20 Vietnam still has a chance, but we need some luck. The players followed the tactics well, but unfortunately, the ball deflected off a U20 Vietnam player and ended up in the net during a set piece.”
The U20 Vietnam coach affirmed that the home team’s midfield performed well: “The two central midfielders of U20 Vietnam played well, distributing the ball, transitioning effectively, and neutralizing the opposing midfield. I assess that our midfielders fulfilled their duties.”
According to Mr. Vinh, football involves both winning and losing, and he told the players that there is still a long road ahead and more opportunities. This defeat serves as a lesson for the entire team. If they advance, U20 Vietnam needs to make adjustments to perform better.
Meanwhile, player Quang Duyet said, “I am very disappointed with this result. U20 Vietnam played well in the first half, and conceding a goal in the second half was truly unfortunate. After the goal, we tried to push forward to find opportunities, but we couldn’t score.”
U20 Syria coach Mohamad Akil stated, “U20 Vietnam is well-organized, has a good coaching staff, and knows what to do. We found it challenging to compete against Vietnam U20, but our players were patient and adhered to the tactics.”
“U20 Vietnam has many quality players, but each team has its own strengths. After every match, we conduct analysis. In this game, the U20 Syria players effectively followed the initial tactics set out.”
In the other match on September 29, Bangladesh quickly took the lead against Bhutan with a goal from Asadul in the third minute. In reality, Bangladesh played better, but defensive mistakes cost them as Bhutan equalized at 1-1. However, a long-range shot from Moinul Moin in the 87th minute secured a valuable victory for Bangladesh.
The head coach of U20 Bhutan, Hideharu Takahashi, said: “In today’s match, U20 Bhutan lost to U20 Bangladesh. The opponent is a strong team, and their strengths were evident at various moments, with players remaining calm. The second goal we conceded was due to our team leaving too much space.
I am not happy with this result, as this was the last match of the qualifiers. We wanted to win, but unfortunately, it didn’t go as we hoped. During our time here, I have felt that the Vietnamese people are very nice and friendly. The organizers arranged the hotel well and provided thoughtful support for the teams.”
The head coach of U20 Bangladesh, Maruful Haque, assessed: “Our team could have performed better, but it seems the players were a bit unfocused. We achieved victory, and the players tried to follow the game plan. Before the tournament, we set a goal to advance, but I now understand that my team needs to improve and refine their skills more in order to achieve our original objectives.”
