Vietnam survive thriller to reach semis

Vietnam continued to their history-making ways at 2018 AFC U-23 Championship by beating Iraq on
penalties following a 3-3 extra time to reach the semi-finals.

The Vietnamese got off to a dream in the quarter-final at the Changshu Stadium in the 12th minute

Although Phan Van Duc was unable to get enough purchase on his ambitious overhead kick, he
succeeded in helping it on to Nguyen Cong Phuong, who instinctively prodded a shot into the back of
the net.

However, Iraq equalised in controversial fashion a minute before the half-hour mark.

There appeared to be little contact when Aymen Hussein went down while challenging for a
cross but referee Chris Beath awarded a penalty, paving the way for the striker to convert
from 12 yards.

With neither side able to net again in the remainder of the 90 minutes, the match then went
into extra-time and that is when the drama really started.

Just four minutes in, the Iraqis took the lead when a corner by Bashar Resan was met by
Hussein with a towering header at the near post that sailed past Bui Tien Dung.

Then, in the 108th minute, it was Vietnam’s turn to equaliser when opposition keeper Ahmed
Basil flapped at a high cross, allowing Nguyen Van Toan to fire home on the turn after Van
Duc had miscued an initial attempt.

Four minutes later, it looked as though Vietnam had completed a stunning victory when Ha Duc
Chinh headed home a Luong Xuan Truong corner to make it 3-2.

But, with four minutes remaining, Alaa Mhawi found spaced down the right and lashed a powerful
shot in at the near post to send the game to the dreaded shootout.

The next six spot-kicks were converted without much fuss, setting up the stage for centre-back Bui
Tien Dung to net the winner and send Vietnam through to a semi-final meeting with Qatar.
Vietnam hold nerve in penalty shootout to reach last four

Changshu: Bashar Resan’s miss from the penalty spot earned Vietnam a place in the semi-
finals of the AFC U23 Championship 2018 on Saturday as Park Hang-seo’s side defeated
former champions Iraq 5-3 in a penalty shootout after an extraordinary 3-3 draw followin

Resan’s attempt to float his penalty down the middle of the goal in the opening round of spot-kicks
failed to fool goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung and the Vietnamese goalkeeper calmly collected the ball in
his arms to, ultimately, seal Vietnam’s victory.

The shootout brought a remarkable game to a tense conclusion and sends Vietnam into the last four
for the first time ever, and they will take on Qatar in the semi-finals in Changzhou on Tuesday.

Iraq went into the game in confident mood after topping Group D and dictated the opening exchanges
but, with Vietnam’s defensive discipline to the fore in the early exchanges, there was little
Abdulghani Shahad’s side could do to find a way through.

Indeed, it was the Vietnamese who took the lead with just 12 minutes on the clock after Iraq’s defence
failed to clear a corner. The ball fell to Phan Van Duc, whose mis-hit attempt at an overhead kick
landed at the feet of Nguyen Cong Phuong, who scored past Ahmed Basil from inside the six-yard
box.

Undeterred by going a goal down, Iraq continued to push forward and their pressure paid off in the
29th minute when Aymen Hussein was fouled inside the area and referee Christopher Beath pointed
to the spot. Hussein converted to level the scores.

With three minutes remaining Alaa Mhawi had the chance to ensure the game did not go into extra-
time, but he sent his attempt over the bar after being set up for the opportunity by Resan.

Iraq looked the more determined to ensure the outcome was decided without the need for spot-kicks
and, just four minutes into the first additional period, the former champions took a 2-1 lead when
Hussein headed in Resan’s corner.

Vietnam, however, were level again in the 108th minute as Basil’s mistake gifted possession to
Nguyen Quang Hai, and he set up Van Duc to score.

The frenetic pace of extra-time continued when Ha Duc Chinh headed home Luong Xuan Truong’s
corner to put Vietnam 3-2 ahead, only for parity to be restored yet again with four minutes remaining
as Alaa Mhawi struck from a tight angle, sending the game into a shootout.

That left Resan to fluff his lines, missing with his penalty in the first round as all five Vietnamese
penalty takers held their nerve from 12 yards to claim a famous win.

Vietnam coach Park Hang-seo: Vietnam head coach

"I want to present this win to all football fans in Vietnam, and I want to thank the Vietnam Football
Federation and everyone who has supported football in Vietnam. Before the match I told the players
that our mission was not easy, but that we had the team spirit and the determination of the players
who will never stop until the final whistle."

Abdulghani Shahad: Iraq head coach

"I apologise to the Iraqi fans, I think that our team played a good match, especially in attack,
However, our defensive mistakes cost us the goals as Vietnam scored twice from corner kicks.
Mistakes can happen in football, and I take the responsibility for any bad result, regardless of the
players' mistakes, as mistakes are part and parcel of football."

AFC U-23s are about performances, not results

Fox Sports Asia’s Scott McIntyre looks at why the AFC U-23 Championships should be judged on
performances and potential, rather than results.

First of all let’s start with a lesson in regional affiliation. Whether fans and critics like it or not,
Australia is and has been for half a decade a member of the ASEAN Football Federation.

They certainly were in 2014 when they topped their group at the inaugural edition of the ‘AFC U-22
Championships’, so let’s stop this nonsense – much of it from reporters who should know better – that
Malaysia were the first Southeast Asian nation to do so.

We’re not talking geographical references – and if we were, someone might care to explain why
Indonesia is considered part of ‘Southeast Asia’ and Papua New Guinea isn’t – we’re talking football
groupings and Australia are quite clearly a Southeast Asian nation by that definition.

Just like being half-pregnant you can’t reference Australia when it suits you and not at other times.
The nation is a full member of the AFF and were the first member nation to reach the knockout stages
at this tournament in the very brief (two prior edition) history it’s enjoyed since 2014. End of story.

Now, let’s get to the second and most important point. Despite the hysteria emanating from Malaysia
and Vietnam’s results at this particular edition of the event, they matter not a single iota.

Two years from now when the next edition serves as qualification for the 2020 Olympics, as the
previous one did for Brazil, then we’re talking.

Therefore, and what’s been lost in much of the analysis, surely the logical idea was to approach this
tournament not as a standalone event to be won or lost but rather as an eye to the future when things
truly are on the line.

That was certainly the mandate enforced upon a Japanese side that will host the Olympics in two
years. New coach Hajime Moriyasu brought a squad that didn’t boast a single player older than 20 –
and still they’ve been the most impressive nation across the group stage.

Of the other nations, only four – Thailand, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam – arrived with fewer than
five outfield players older than 21.

Straight away for those still confused that results matter here, you can see we’re not even talking
about a playing field that’s in any way level. It’s also leaving aside a whole stack of players that
would have been present at the tournament, predominantly from West Asian nations whose domestic
leagues are in full swing, had this actually been the edition when Olympic qualification was on the
line.

So without wanting to begrudge Malaysia and Vietnam’s moment in the sun there are far more
important factors at play that I’ve yet to see any kind of analysis of. That’s what kind of players are
likely to emerge from these nations who will go on to become established senior internationals,
charged with qualification in tournaments when such things are actually relevant.

The primary responsibility of the 16 coaches in China over this fortnight is not to win or lose football
matches, rather it’s to expose, educate, unravel and nourish those who will hopefully become the
backbone of their respective senior squads.

As if that needed to be spelled out any more clearly, you only need to consider that just one nation –
Vietnam – has their senior coach also in place at this competition.

Most others are vastly experienced youth coaching specialists on whom this mandate is not lost, yet
still we hear incessant talk in the media about results over performances.

So for those who missed the message let’s repeat it again – results don’t matter a single iota.

Again, what does matter is performances and on that front it’s certainly been a mixed bag.

Having sat through every minute of every match, I’ll be compiling a Best XI at the end of the
competition, but the worrying thing from a Southeast Asian perspective should be how few candidates
there are from the quartet of ASEAN representatives present in China.

Some of that has been down to, in my opinion, egregious coaching approaches, some of it a stunning
lack of technical quality, some of it tactical concerns and some just bad luck.

The reality though is a stark one for Southeast Asia. Fans and observers alike who have sat through
these matches can’t have missed the lack of players who have genuinely imposed themselves on the
various contests.

Much, if not most, of the individual showings that have caught the eye came from those players from
central or western Asian nations (and several from an impressive China side that didn’t even reach the
knockout stage). If we look at the specifics from SEA, how many players – individually – can we say
either confirmed or enhanced their reputations?

Much of this came down to the fact that, Australia aside, the other Southeast Asian nations were
focused purely on progression at all costs and as such, set up tactically to be hard to break down and
funneled their scant attacking opportunities on the counter.

For some, given the technical issues they face, that’s understandable to a point but for others, namely
Vietnam, it’s a criminal approach that risks handicapping a rare generation of creative talent.

From Thailand, defender Worawut Namvech, midfielder Supachok Sarachat and forward Chenrop
Samphaodi were the more impressive of a younger group of players, while Australia’s creative
midfielder Daniel De Silva looked the only player genuinely capable of cracking open a match against
opponents that sat deep and defended, waiting for moments to counter.
Vietnam have a level of technical sophistication unmatched by any other SEA nation at this age group
yet were forced to brutalise themselves under the ‘tutelage’ of their new Korean coach which (until
the final match when they switched to a 4-4-2 in attack) saw this gifted generation of attacking talent
reduced to harriers in a manner that recalled Cinderella before she met Prince Charming.

Finally, Malaysia should build a statue to Ong Kim Swee at some point given the absolute dearth of
technicians that he had to call upon. The average (and overall) passing completion of the squad was
dreadful – the likes of which are rarely seen in international football – yet outstanding defensive
organisation and discipline saw the side manage to reach the knockout stage.

For those who think that such things don’t matter I humbly disagree as passing completion is one of
the best indicators that you’ll find for technical quality and both Vietnam (63.7 per cent) and Malaysia
(69.8 per cent) were in the bottom three at the entire tournament. Compare that to both Australia (84.1
per cent) and Oman (78.9 per cent) who were in the top three yet were eliminated and it’s further
proof that such things are important. If you can’t complete one in every two or three passes your long-
term future isn’t bright regardless of your tactical application.

The team received solid service from the reliable right-back Mathew Davies, but there’s no question
at all over who the shining light was for the Young Tigers and that’s the ultra-impressive impressive
Safawi Rashid – a player who has already stamped himself as the most important cog not just for the
youth teams but likely also for the senior side as well given the paucity of technical quality plaguing
Malaysian football.

The beguiling midfielder has been one of the standout players at the tournament across the board and
the continued emergence of this playmaking star should be the headline act that all in Malaysia are
hailing rather than placing their stock in wins or losses.

Let’s say it clearly once again – results don’t matter here, what does is the emergence, development
and exposure of players. Those who overlook this simple concept, and the worrying elements
contained within it, do a disservice to football in the region.