Southeast Asia Vietnam

Vietnamese coach: Thailand U22 is not superior to Vietnam

Vietnamese coach Hoang Anh Tuan, who has recently made headlines for guiding Vietnam U17 to its first ever World Cup competition, believes that Thailand U22 is not superior to the Young Golden Stars.

Returning from a scouting trip in Thailand, coach Hoang Anh Tuan said he felt Thailand U22’s greatest strength lies in their ability to play as a very cohesive unit. The 49-year-old manager also named Chenrop Samphaodi and Chaiyawat Buran as potential threats to the Young Golden Stars’ defense.

The 49-year-old manager also named Chenrop Samphaodi and Chaiyawat Buran as potential threats to the Young Golden Stars’ defense.

“Thailand U22 is not superior to Vietnam, really, so we don’t have to worry about it. The team still play to a possession-based strategy which focuses a lot on short passing and off the ball movement,” Hoang Anh Tuan told local newspaper VnExpress.

“But they also focus on wing attacks and crossing, which could cause a lot of troubles. They have two excellent attackers, the number 9 centre-forward Chenrop Samphaodi and the number 10 Chaiyawat Buran. Our players should be wary of them,” coach Tuan added.

Vietnam have been drawn in Group B of the upcoming 29th SEA Games, along with Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.