Football

HÀ NỘI — Well-rehearsed set pieces were key as Việt Nam opened their AFC U23 Asian Cup Finals campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Jordan in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a result coach Kim Sang-sik said was built on meticulous preparation.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kim affirmed that set pieces had been a major focus in training before the tournament.

“We practiced them very thoroughly. The players concentrated intensely so they could apply what they learned in actual matches and score goals. This was demonstrated in previous tournaments and today, the whole team continued to perform well.”

The coach also acknowledged the challenge posed by the harsh conditions.

“The weather was very hot, and the whole team faced many difficulties. In the second half, the game became even more challenging, but the players maintained discipline to secure a great result. I would like to thank the entire team,” he said.

Nguyễn Đình Bắc and Nguyễn Hiểu Minh found the net to secure Việt Nam’s first victory of the tournament, a notable upset given that Jordan were highly regarded before the competition.

Kim stressed that attention would now quickly turn to the next fixture against Kyrgyzstan on January 9.

“The whole team need to prepare well, helping players recover their physical strength and become as ready as possible for the next match. After that, based on our result against Kyrgyzstan, we will determine our goals and strategies for the match against Saudi Arabia.”

 

Coach Kim acknowledged the difficulties of fine-tuning his squad before the tournament after a number of key players, including Nguyễn Tân, Thanh Nhàn and Bùi Vĩ Hào, were sidelined by injury. Despite those setbacks, he praised the team’s readiness.

“The players prepared very well. Regardless of their position, they fulfilled their duties,” Kim said.

Striker Đình Bắc, who opened the scoring, described the moment as special.

“Scoring the first goal of the tournament was a wonderful feeling. This victory stemmed from the team's good preparation. I would like to thank the coaching staff and my teammates for their support,” he said.

Centre-back Hiểu Minh, named the man of the match, said Việt Nam were fully aware of the challenges in Group A.

“The coach set the goal for us to win each match to progress through the group stage," he said. "The defence played well, and goalkeeper Trung Kiên kept a clean sheet at crucial moments. We are happy with the victory, but we need to quickly focus on the next match and maintain our concentration.”

Hiểu Minh underlined his influence with a commanding defensive display, making nine clearances, two tackles and three interceptions to blunt the West Asian side’s attacking threat. He also recorded 59 touches and won all three of his aerial duels. Crucially, the centre-back capped his performance with the decisive goal, sealing a 2-0 win and a perfect start for U23 Việt Nam. — VNS