U23 Vietnam lost the first match in Dubai Cup, still standing above Thailand U23

U23 Vietnam entered the second match at the 2022 Dubai Cup friendly with the squad changing to 8 positions compared to the previous match. Coach Lee Young-jin continues to experiment with personnel and gameplay towards the 31st SEA Games.

U23 Vietnam still entered the game cautiously, emphasizing certainty. Coach Lee Young-jin arranged a low squad, letting Croatia U23 press the field in the first minutes of the match. The European team – mainly the U20 players – showed a clear play of putting the ball down the two lines.

With a tight squad and proactive defense, keeping focus, U23 Vietnam does not give the opponent much space to threaten the penalty area. The opportunity only came to Croatia U23 from a long shot and a header that didn’t hit the target.

Meanwhile, U23 Vietnam also had a few times making it difficult for the opponent’s defense with quick counter-attacks and sudden surges. Le Xuan Tu caused regret with the situation of heading out when the opponent’s goalkeeper was far away from the goal.

After the first half did not have a goal, both U23 Vietnam and U23 Croatia changed many players in the second half to continue testing personnel. The game did not change significantly. U23 Vietnam still plays solid defense.

The stalemate of the match was only cleared by a moment of individual brilliance. Leon Belcar basically managed to face the U23 penalty area in Vietnam and launched a dangerous long shot, defeating goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan. This is the first goal of U23 Vietnam at the U23 Dubai Cup 2022.

U23 Vietnam tried to push the offensive line up but could not create opportunities. Coach Lee Young-jin’s teachers and students failed with the minimum score.

Result: U23 Vietnam 0-1 U23 Croatia

Scorer: Belcar (76′)