We deserved to win, says coach

Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl said his side deserved to win the match against the UAE in the first match of Group B in Hanoi on July 8.

Despite his men”s impressive victory, coach Alfred Riedl is cautious. (Photo: VFF).

The coach said that: “It was an exciting match. I thought the team who scored first would be the winners. We scored two goals and deserved to win.⬝

Vietnam earned their first victory at the AFC Asian Cup, beating the UAE 2-0 through goals by Huynh Quang Thanh and Le Cong Vinh.

However, the coach was cautious to say about the co-hosts chance of advancing to the knockout stages, despite his men”s impressive performance.

SWe were the outsiders at the start, but there are still two games to go and you never know what can happen. There may still be disappointment.”

SWe prepared well, we were ready, but so were the UAE after their Gulf Cup victory.⬝

UAE coach Bruno Metsu spoke highly of Vietnam, saying: “They played a fantastic game. I was not surprised how well Vietnam played because they played two friendly games and scored eight goals and we knew that before the game.

SToday we missed several chances to score and also Vietnam had passionate fans behind them.”

The French coach went on saying: “SAfter the first goal you have to comeback quickly, it is vital to comeback quickly so you can get a draw or a win. At 1-0 anything is possible, in the last five or 10 minutes you can comeback, but we didn”t manage that today.⬝

He said that the team, featuring many young players, who were playing in the Asian Cup for the first time, learn a good lesson in dealing with pressure from home fans and the match officers.

Despite the defeat, Mr Metsu remains confident his side can recover from the setback to reach the last eight after his side bounced back from an opening game defeat by Oman at the Gulf Cup to win the tournament for the first time in January.

SIn the Gulf Cup we lost the first game, so we still have a chance to comeback,⬝ said the former Senegal coach. SWe had many young players playing their first game in the Asian Cup. We will try and win the next game, anything is possible when you believe,” say the coach.

Nhan Dan Online