Football

Việt Nam coaches and players during the break in the match against Uzbekistan on March 23. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — A 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan on March 23 made Việt Nam's U22 team a candidate for the title in the ongoing CFA Team China International Friendly Competition 2025.

Việt Nam were confident facing former Asian champion Uzbekistan, after they tied the powerful South Korean team 1-1 in the first match several days ago.

They built up a strong defence, creating an invisible wall in front of their goal. Captain Nguyễn Văn Trường delivered a high performance in the midfield, supporting both strikers and defenders.

Việt Nam had the first opportunity to score at the 25th minute, when Nguyễn Phi Hoàng's long finish was denied by the Uzbekistan goalkeeper. Viktor Lê caught the bounce, but his shot went wide.

Uzbekistan sped up in the second half, but all of their attempts were not strong enough to make a goal.

"Uzbekistan are a good team with strong and technical players. We prepared a plan against them, and my players carried out it well," said coach Đinh Hồng Vinh.

"My defenders were focused. They maintained a good distance with each other and kept in communication. They didn't leave room for the Uzbeks to attack.

"We had some opportunities, but could not score. This is something we will continue to improve on to achieve higher efficiency in the upcoming match," he said.

After two draws, Việt Nam are second in the ranking with two points. They stand below the hosts, who earned four points from one win and one draw.

Việt Nam will play China for the title in the last match on March 25.

“China are a well-organised team with strict discipline, and they are good at converting their opportunities into goals, proven through their 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan and 1-0 win over South Korea," said Vinh.

"We have to carefully analyse them to be as prepared as possible for the last match. It is definitely an important game in terms of results, and it will also help us more accurately assess the players' abilities in high-pressure situations.” — VNS