Football

Vietnamese players are asked to be focused on the final match against Indonesia during the AFF U23 Championship on August 26 in Rayong, Thailand. Photo of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's next target will be the title after they earned their berth in the AFF U23 Championship final as coach said beating Indonesia was tough task but nothing was impossible.

Coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn of Việt Nam appreciated finalist Indonesia as a strong rival and said it he would not surprise if the SEA Games defending champions win on August 27 in Rayong, Thailand.

“It is difficult to explain my feeling right now. We already completed our mission of making the final. I watched the semi-final match between Thailand and Indonesia which was fantastic. If Indonesia win tomorrow, it will not be a surprise because they are a strong rival with a good coach," said Tuấn at the press briefing on August 25.

Việt Nam won two matches to advance to the semi-final as the Group C leader. They then beat Malaysia to reach the final.

Meanwhile Indonesia could only enter the knock-out round as the best runner-up team. But they showed a totally different face when beating title favourite Thailand 3-1 in the last-four round to meet Việt Nam in the gold-medal game.

"Really, their coach is really good, changing his tactic and line-up when facing with different rivals. Indonesian players are experienced and get used to their coach's changes. (I believe) they will play other style when facing Việt Nam," said Tuấn.

“We respect our rivals but don't be afraid of them. We will play our best and also need to have flexible changes to adapt to the situations. We will prepare well for tomorrow's match. Chances are 50-50 for both teams.”

On the other side, coach Shin Tae Yong of Indonesia hoped his team would win the championship although Việt Nam were a tough team.

"I want my players to take the title but it is not our final target. I want them to get much better after the tournament," said Shin who will end his contract with by the end of this year.

In case of winning, it will be the first title of the South Korean who has been working with different teams of Indonesia since 2020.

He said his coaching team would have a suitable plan for the final because some players were injured and some other suffered bans.

"U23 Indonesia are not a perfect team this year. Players made many mistakes even in our wins. We had to watch our games again so that we can fix the problems. I have no secret to help Indonesia strongly improve in the semis. Simply, the more we play the better we are," Shin said.

"Việt Nam are like other teams in the semi-finals, all are strong. But I believe that Indonesia will play well in the final and then top the podium." VNS