Vietnam
must ‘focus on each match’ to make the semifinals, but it’s not a shoe in
The Vietnam men’s football team could make at least the
semifinals at the South East Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar next month, but
officials are debating whether or not the squad understands enough about its
rivals.
Some say the draw didn’t work in Vietnam’s favor, but it also didn’t work against them.
"Neither group is easier than the other,” said Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy. “Vietnam is in a group [Group A] with 6 teams, so the players will lose more energy in the group stage but it will be very interesting.”
Some say the draw didn’t work in Vietnam’s favor, but it also didn’t work against them.
"Neither group is easier than the other,” said Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy. “Vietnam is in a group [Group A] with 6 teams, so the players will lose more energy in the group stage but it will be very interesting.”
Hy said Vietnam should focus its best efforts on each match, and shouldn’t be too confident against any rival.
No team is weaker or stronger in Group A, he said, adding that different teams have different features and Vietnam could be swept aside easily if they are not careful.
Timor Leste in Group B is hard to understand and the Philippines in Group A is hard to understand, too, Hy said.
It is now hard to tell which teams will enter the semifinals, he said.
Vietnamese players must make great efforts in skills training and in controlling their psychological emotions, he went on.
Good emotions can help players make good use of skills and strategies, Hy concluded.
“Vietnamese U.23s are in a relatively easy group because it does not consist of Thailand and Indonesia and hosts Myanmar,” said VFF General Secretary Ngo Le Bang.
“Vietnam will only have to compete with Malaysia and Singapore for a berth in the semifinals [because] Laos and Brunei are still inferior to Vietnam.”
But he didn’t dismiss the Philippines out of hand.
“Only the Philippines may upset
us because we don’t quite understand them,” he argued.
“Though we are in an easy group, Vietnamese U.23s must focus their efforts on each match.”
“Though we are in an easy group, Vietnamese U.23s must focus their efforts on each match.”
Hoang Van Phuc, head coach of the Vietnamese U.23 football team, disagreed with much of what Bang said.
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“I don’t think Group A is easy. It is the opposite. The rivals in this group are very different. Don’t think it is easy when Vietnam does not have to face Thailand or hosts Myanmar,” he said.
“Vietnam will have to clash with difficult rivals, including Malaysia and Singapore. Laos and the Philippines are not inferior. It would be very hard if the Filipino team consists of several players of foreign origin.”
In the group stage, Vietnam will play 5 matches in 14 days and that will require a lot of energy and that is why the Vietnamese U.23s must gain more energy before the contest, Phuc went on.
Good strategies would mean nothing without sufficient energy, he said. Vietnam will focus on each match to enter the semifinals, according to Phuc.
Captain Nguyen Van Quyet said that the Vietnamese U.23s must fight against any rival but it would be easier for the Vietnamese U.23s if they take wins in all the first four matches before facing Malaysia.
Tran Quoc Tuan, general director of the General Department of Physical Training and Sports, did not describe one group as easier than the other. He said: “The Vietnamese U.23s need to have the right strategies for each match. Most importantly, they must maintain good energy and use their energy reasonably.”
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