Vietnam beat Saudi Arabia for second win in Futsal Asian Cup

Saudi Arabia (65th on world ranking) surprised everyone when they were able to defeat Japan (19th) 2-1 in the first game. They also have European-winning coach Andreu Plaza on the team, who turned them into a tough opponent with suitable tactics and difficult to predict.

Those qualities were shown in the game with Vietnam when Saudi Arabia used the great long-passing ability of goalkeeper Humood Aldahhan to cause trouble to the defense. But Vietnam head coach Diego Giustozzi dealt with it well as he told keeper Ho Van Y to catch Aldahhan’s passes and asked the other players to keep a tight defense and actively put pressure on the opponent.

In the 11th minute, Vietnam got a relevant chance to score with a great play down the flank as Chau Doan Phat passed inside the box, past the goalkeeper but Nguyen Anh Duy was not there in time for a tap-in. However, a minute later, the same play was repeated and this time Duy did not miss the opportunity to open the scoring for Vietnam.

After the goal, Vietnam switched to defensive play and wait for counter-attacking chances while Saudi Arabia use power play (the goalie can also play as a striker). In the second half, Saudi Arabia put their best cards on the field. But in the 28th minute, they conceded another goal when their defender lost the ball during a power play, which couldn’t make it easier for Doan Phat to finish into the empty net.

Saudi Arabia got one back a minute later and it was Phat again but this time he scored an own goal as Aldahhan’s shot deflected off him and went in. The last 10 minutes saw Vietnam being under great pressure and keeper Y once again proved his worth with many saves.

In the 40th minute, Saudi Arabia conceded another goal because they were too focused on power play and let Nguyen Minh Tri volley it in from his side of the field to the other and secured the 3-1 win for Vietnam.

This victory kept Vietnam on top of group D with six points after two games, scoring eight and conceding two. In the last group stage game on October 2, Vietnam will face Japan while Saudi Arabia play South Korea. Vietnam can still be eliminated if they lose big to Japan while Saudi Arabia got a grand win against South Korea.

The 2022 Futsal Asian Cup is taking place in Kuwait from September 27 to October 8. 16 teams are divided into four groups. The top two teams of each group will advance to the quarterfinals.

 

 

Vietnam beat Saudi Arabia for second win in Futsal Asian Cup

Saudi Arabia 1-3 Việt Nam