Iran captain: 'Vietnam U20 does not deserve to be eliminated'
"Today's match was really difficult for Iran, because the opponent was very strong. I don't think Vietnam deserve to be kicked out of this tournament, but that's how tough football is. I feel sorry for them," Hazbavi said later. match.
On the field of Istiqlol, Iran, with only three points through the first two rounds, entered the game with pressure to win to decide the next stage. That attitude made them somewhat impatient at the beginning of the game and almost conceded a goal first, when Khuat Van Khang kicked the free-kick and hit the goalkeeper in the 13th minute. At the end of the first half, Iran concretized its advantage in terms of position. The match opened the scoring when Hazbavi himself shot high to beat goalkeeper Van Binh.
Iran continued to face difficulties, when Vietnam equalized in the 56th minute thanks to Van Khang and then played defensively. However, the personnel adjustments from the middle of the second half helped the representative of West Asia create a breakthrough, with the goals of Saharkhizan in the 75th minute and then Hosseinnezhad in offset time, to seal a 3-1 victory. This result combined with Australia's 9-1 victory over Qatar in the same match at the same time helped Iran continue with the top spot in Group B.
"Every game will have different situations. Today we have to try our best to achieve the desired result. Thank God for this victory. Thank you teammates and coach for fighting. We hope to continue to win the next match," Hazbavi added.
Iran U20 head coach Samad Marfavi also admitted that Vietnam is a too strong opponent. The victory of the first two matches, according to Mr. Marfawi, created a psychological advantage for Vietnam, while his Iran was under great pressure because he had to win to have the door to continue.
"Today's match is much more difficult than when we played against Australia. Vietnam has good technique and physical foundation, they also adhere to tactics, so the kick is very uncomfortable. But fortunately Iran has done well in all aspects, both in attack and in defense, to win," the 58-year-old said.
According to this coach, carefully studying and understanding how Vietnam plays also contributes to Iran's victory. "I know Vietnam has a good system, but today, we changed our tactics to counter their way of playing," added Mr. Marfawi.
