After a turbulent campaign which saw them lose to both Iraq and Iran, Vietnam have ended Group D with an impressive 2-0 victory over Yemen. This result puts them in prime position to qualify for the knockout stages, but they need to await other results from groups E and F to confirm their passage. Football Tribe Vietnam’s Tran Tien walks us through five things the Golden Stars can take away from their first victory of the tournament.
Vietnam Played Under Big Pressure
Before the match, Vietnam mathematically needed to win 3-0 over Yemen to confirm the place in the knock out round and started the game under immense pressure. They were unable to control their nervousness and frustration as they faced many difficulties when trying to penetrate Yemen’s defensive system.
Quang Hai’s Special Moment
Vietnam’s Quang Hai had his eyes on the goal from the moment he stepped behind the ball for the freekick. He made absolutely no mistake, smashing in a stunner from range to open the scoring and put his side a goal up just when they needed it the most.
Vietnam Lack Quality Strikers and Central Midfielders
Except for the two goals they scored from set-pieces, Vietnam were unable to make any dangerous situations to trouble Yemen’s goalkeeper. Substitute striker Tien Linh didn’t cause any real threats to the defenders after entering the fray. Aside from that, the central midfielders could not control the tempo of the game in the second half, which led to some dangerous counter–attacks from Yemen.
High Spirit from Yemen
Yemen played the game with high spirit and caused some problems for Vietnam in the second half. If they were luckier, they could have scored at least one goal.
Vietnam Likely to Progress
With 3 points and the GD at -1, Vietnam have a big chance to go through to the round of 16. The team now just need to wait for the results from groups E and F to confirm their place in next round.