On matchday two of the group stage, reigning runners-up Vietnam struggled to secure a draw against a Jordanian side who played consistently throughout the match while creating more scoring opportunities.
The result leaves Park Hang-seo’s troops in a tough spot as they vie for a place in the quarterfinals. They are now in third place, two points behind both the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
To qualify for the knockout stage, Vietnam will have to beat the DPR Korea in their final group match (on Jan 16) and hope the UAE-Jordan clash finishes not in a tie but with either team winning the match.
Speaking to the media after the Jordan clash, Dinh Trong admitted that Vietnam U23s did not catch up well enough with the West Asian team.
“Vietnam did not start well, but then the whole team stayed focused and played better. As you can see, Jordan have a great attacking force, and actually, they caused a lot of difficulties for our defence line.”
The draw against Jordan is the second consecutive goalless tie for Vietnam U23s in this year’s tournament. On this point, the Hanoi FC defender said: “We were just unlucky in front of goal today. I believe that we will improve in the final match against the DPR Korea.”
“The quarterfinal ticket is still within our reach. The upcoming DPR Korea match will be a decisive one. We will try to perform our best to get the best possible result,” he said.
This morning (Jan 14), Vietnam U23s convened their last training session in Buriram before travelling to Bangkok in the afternoon to prepare for the DPR Korea clash, scheduled for January 16 at the Rajamangala Stadium.
The following are some pictures of Vietnam's final training session in Buriram.
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