Vietnamese players are in a training session in Dubai (Source: VFF)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam’s coachPark Hang-seo will set his side out to resist the attacking prowess of Japan inthe quarterfinal of the Asian Cup in Dubai, the UAE, on January 24.
Vietnam were the last team to qualify for theround of 16, edging Lebanon on the fair-play rule after both teams ended levelon points, goal difference and goals scored in the group stage. They went on tobeat Jordan on penalty kicks in the second round.
Japan won all three matches to top their groupbefore beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the knock-out phase, keeping their bid for arecord-extending fifth continental title on track.
According to estimated transfer marketvaluation, the Japanese team are some 265 times more valuable than Vietnam,making this a true David versus Goliath encounter.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said he wasproud with the way his team adapted to a defensive style against theSaudis, but confirmed that Japan would return to the swashbuckling footballthat saw them register wins over Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan.
He said though Japan only had two days toprepare for the quarter-final, one less than Vietnam have enjoyed, he felt histeam would be ready for the game.
Tsukasa Shiotani was also confident ahead of thematch. The midfielder, who plays for Al Ain FC of the UAE, said if he hadchance to play against Vietnam, he would do his best to help his countrycontrol the game and bring into play their strong points.
On the Vietnamese side, Park watched the matchbetween Japan and Saudi Arabia and felt he had a handle on the team’s strengthsand weaknesses.
Park said the Japanese defence performed well,while the midfielders were tidy on the ball. The squad includes 12 playersplying their trade in Europe, while every Vietnamese player last played clubfootball domestically.
However, Japan also had weak points. He said Japanhad conceded three goals throughout the tournament, showing there are areas Vietnamcan exploit.
The Korean coach said it would be a bigchallenge for him but he and his team were excited to play this match.
“I didn’t expect Jordan to play so cautiously inthe first half, which was good for us because we could deal with them verywell. Every tactic was perfectly executed by the players, so I am really proudof them," he told the AFC.com
Park said his team’s unity had helped make themthe only group round’s third-place team still in the tournament.
“Our players know very well that we are oneteam, and I always remind them that we are one team fighting together.”
The coming round will see video assistantreferee (VAR) used for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Park asked his team to respect referees and stopplaying when they heard a whistle.
"Our coach does not set a target for us. Hejust wants us to believe in ourselves and play confidently. That would bringthe best result," said Ngan Van Dai.
On January 22, Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc called to encourage the team.
The PM said being one of final eight teams was aremarkable result. He hoped the players would compete in unity and show theirgreat Vietnamese spirit.
The match, under host referee Mohammed AbdullaHassan Mohammed, will be broadcast live from 8pm Hanoi time on VTV 6 andFox Sports.-VNS/VNA
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