Riedl calls for underdogs to roar
Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl has called for his players to display their fighting spirit when they battle Iraq on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals…
20/07/2007 00:00:00
Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl has called for his players to display their fighting spirit when they battle Iraq on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.
The Vietnamese will be rank outsiders when they take on the Iraqis in the quarter-finals but their Austrian coach is calling for his team to show the same spirit they displayed against the Untied Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The Vietnamese will be rank outsiders when they take on the Iraqis in the quarter-finals but their Austrian coach is calling for his team to show the same spirit they displayed against the Untied Arab Emirates and Qatar.
SWe are underdogs and they are the favourites,⬝ said Riedl. SWe need to have the fighting spirit we showed in the first two matches. The third match did not help us because Japan were simply too strong for us.⬝
Vietnam were overwhelmed by the defending champions but they put in some gutsy displays against the UAE and Qatar and were rewarded with a 2-0 victory over Bruno Metsu”s Gulf Cup winners and a 1-1 draw against the Qataris, gold medallists at the 2006 Asian Games.
These impressive results have taken Vietnam into the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1960 and have captured the imagination of the public, but Riedl is keen that nobody gets too carried away with the achievement.
SI don”t know if they are heroes,⬝ said the 57-year-old, who is currently in his third stint as Vietnam head coach.
SThey have won one match and draw another but getting to the quarter-finals has been a good achievement. I have asked the players why they are here [in Bangkok], to lose a match or to go to Malaysia [for the semi-final]
SWe know Iraq will be a very strong opponent. They topped the group and that says something.
SThey have a very strong physique and this might make the difference. But we will do everything we can to win this match as it is a decisive match as there can be no draw.⬝
Riedl”s hopes that Vietnam can win the match and have Iraq miss out on a semi-final berth for the fourth successive Asian Cup have been dealt a blow as they will be without Phan Van Tai Em, who has stayed in Long Am to get married.
There are also injury doubts over central defender Ngyuen Huy Hoang and midfielder Tran Duc Duong, both of whom are struggling with foot injuries.
SPreparations are going well although we have an injured central defender Huy Hoang,⬝ said Riedl. SHe has a broken bone in his foot and we need to test him before the match.
SThe doctor said it is not dangerous but we will leave it for the player to decide if he wants to play. Not me or the doctor as I will never force a player to play.
SOur midfielder (Tran Duc Duong) also picked up a foot injury in training yesterday but the rest of the squad is OK.
SThere are no other problems. The hotel is OK, the food is OK and the training has been OK. The biggest problem is Iraq.⬝
Vietnam were overwhelmed by the defending champions but they put in some gutsy displays against the UAE and Qatar and were rewarded with a 2-0 victory over Bruno Metsu”s Gulf Cup winners and a 1-1 draw against the Qataris, gold medallists at the 2006 Asian Games.
These impressive results have taken Vietnam into the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time since 1960 and have captured the imagination of the public, but Riedl is keen that nobody gets too carried away with the achievement.
SI don”t know if they are heroes,⬝ said the 57-year-old, who is currently in his third stint as Vietnam head coach.
SThey have won one match and draw another but getting to the quarter-finals has been a good achievement. I have asked the players why they are here [in Bangkok], to lose a match or to go to Malaysia [for the semi-final]
SWe know Iraq will be a very strong opponent. They topped the group and that says something.
SThey have a very strong physique and this might make the difference. But we will do everything we can to win this match as it is a decisive match as there can be no draw.⬝
Riedl”s hopes that Vietnam can win the match and have Iraq miss out on a semi-final berth for the fourth successive Asian Cup have been dealt a blow as they will be without Phan Van Tai Em, who has stayed in Long Am to get married.
There are also injury doubts over central defender Ngyuen Huy Hoang and midfielder Tran Duc Duong, both of whom are struggling with foot injuries.
SPreparations are going well although we have an injured central defender Huy Hoang,⬝ said Riedl. SHe has a broken bone in his foot and we need to test him before the match.
SThe doctor said it is not dangerous but we will leave it for the player to decide if he wants to play. Not me or the doctor as I will never force a player to play.
SOur midfielder (Tran Duc Duong) also picked up a foot injury in training yesterday but the rest of the squad is OK.
SThere are no other problems. The hotel is OK, the food is OK and the training has been OK. The biggest problem is Iraq.⬝
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