Vietnam coach says drawing against South Korea not his plan

“Vietnam didn’t win and I’m sorry about that. We had to share points in the last two games. Vietnam still have one more game to go. I really appreciated the effort of the players. They have tried their best in this game,” Gong said after the game in Uzbekistan.

South Korea dominated the game with 74 percent of possession and 11 shots (only two on goal). The excellence of Vietnam’s defense, especially the centre-back duo Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Nguyen Thanh Binh, along with goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan helped the team stand still.

Even after South Korea scored first in the 63rd minute, Vietnam didn’t budge. They responded with a few chances. In the 78th minute, South Korea were down to 10 men after Lee Jin-yong received a second yellow card. With the advantage in hand, Vietnam increased pressure and equalized with a stunner by Vu Tien Long. This is also Vietnam’s only shot on goal in the game.

“I didn’t have a plan to draw against South Korea. I always encourage the players to aim for victory. We don’t have to target a draw against them. I told the players to fight and win. South Korea were really strong but Vietnam players run more and put in more effort,” Gong said.

Before this game, Vietnam only drew one and lost four in five encounters with South Korea at the U23 level. In the game, they played confidently and forced South Korea to share points.

“They have shown confidence since during training. Before the game, I told them to create a surprise and they did it,” Gong added.

Vietnam will take on Malaysia on Wednesday in the last fixture of group C, while South Korea will play Thailand.

 

 

Vietnam coach says drawing against South Korea not his plan

U23 Việt Nam cầm hòa Hàn Quốc