Football

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his delight after his side secured their second consecutive victory at the AFC U23 Asian Cup, emphasising that the team is not afraid of any opponent in this continental competition.

The Vietnamese squad battled through a tough encounter against Kyrgyzstan, ultimately earning a 2-1 win on January 9 at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Captain Khuất Văn Khang opened the scoring with a well-taken penalty in the 17th minute. The match was sealed in the closing stages when substitute Lê Văn Thuận’s header deflected off Khristiian Brauzman, resulting in an own goal just three minutes from time.

Kyrgyzstan's goal was sandwiched between Việt Nam's strikes after a spectacular Marlen Murzakhmatov long range effort found the back of the net of keeper Nguyễn Trung Kiên near the break.

“We won the match so we’re in a good position in the table,” said Kim in the post-match conference.

He said thanks to all the players for the efforts they put in although admitted that he personally was not entirely satisfied with the team's performance.

“Kyrgyzstan lost their previous match so they had a strong mentality going into this match, hence why it wasn’t easy."

 

Speaking about his substitution in the second half that totally changed the game's result the South Korean trainer said: “Thuận has been good every time coming off the bench.

"He created a lot of difficulties for the opponent side, provided active defensive support, and today he played key part in Việt Nam's second goal. That was a performance that had a positive impact on the whole team.”

He said the victory was not enough to help Việt Nam qualify for the quarter-finals but a great advantage prior to the last group match. 

Asked about next matches, Kim said he would check all players' fitness and injuries carefully before having any plan but Việt Nam were always ready for any rival.

"I have thought much about quarter-finals. The important thing is players' high determination. No matter who the opponent is, we will play with confidence. If we prepare well, all will have to be wary of us," Kim said.

There was agony for Edmar Lacerda, who saw his Kyrgyzstan side endure yet another heartbreaking defeat by conceding a late goal –having lost in the same manner against Saudi Arabia.

His plan did not quite work out but Lacerda was nonetheless proud of his players’ efforts. 

“We prepared for this game knowing Việt Nam are good at controlling the ball so we wanted to use more of the sides and look to play crosses into the box but it didn’t work for us. 

“I, as the coach, have to take the blame for this. The guys did want to win and tried to win but unfortunately we didn’t,” said Lacerda whose team were the first one disqualified from the tournament.

In the later match of Group A, Jordan came from behind to beat Saudi Arabia 3-2 at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

For Saudi Arabia head coach Luigi Biagio, it was a case of frustration with the defeat meaning his side would have to beat flying-high Việt Nam in their final match to keep their dreams alive.  

He said that was a very difficult match, especially in the first half. The hosts faced a strong team and even with a 1-0 lead, they could not control the match.

The second half was much better and they deserved a better result. He believed that his team had the potential to succeed and would try to reverse what they did wrong and improve in the next match.

Việt Nam, on top of the table with perfect six points after two matches, will play the hosts Saudi Arabia, who are temporally at third position with three points, on January 12.

Meanwhile second-placed Jordan will face eliminated Kyrgyzstan. VNS