Quan Van Chuan refused to accept credit after winning the Southeast Asian U23 championship
Quan Van Chuan had a great influence on the final result on Rayong on the evening of August 26. In extra time, when the score was 0-0, he blocked the shot of striker Ramadhan Sananta in the face-to-face position. In the penalty shootout, the goalkeeper of the Hanoi Club staff pushed the penalty kick of his colleague Ernando Ari, helping Vietnam win 6-5 and become the first team to successfully defend the U23 championship in Southeast Asia.
However, Vietnam's number one goalkeeper thinks he is just one element in the home team's victory. "The credit is not my own. The whole team has joined hands to contribute to the championship," he said. "The last penalty I pushed was just luck."
Before this match, Van Chuan used to be a worry for coach Hoang Anh Tuan because he did not have a good feeling in the phase in and out to prevent crosses. He missed, leading to Laos equalizing 1-1 in the opening match, and made the same mistake early in the second half of the Philippines match. However, he was still trusted, ranked as the main stone in the semi-finals, defeating Malaysia 4-1 and Indonesia in the final. According to the 21-year-old goalkeeper, the mistakes were mainly due to his lack of playing experience, when he was only the number three choice at the Hanoi club, but being able to play continuously in this tournament helped him gradually improve himself. .
Vietnam's squad for this year's tournament is not the strongest, when there are many players in the U20 category. The task set for teachers and coach Hoang Anh Tuan is to experience and rub to accumulate experience. Therefore, the goal of the team is to try to reach the final, not to mention the championship.
In the group stage, Vietnam was criticized when they beat Laos 4-1 in a match that was not too dominant, even under pressure, before scoring three goals in 15 minutes. The team then only defeated the Philippines with a minimum difference of 1-0. But in the semi-finals, with the strongest squad, Vietnam showed a completely different face, solving Malaysia right in the first half when leading by three goals. Despite withdrawing some of the pillars such as Xuan Tien, Minh Khoa, Dinh Duy or Quoc Viet to the field to recuperate for the final, the team still ended the match with a 4-1 victory. In the final, despite a lot of pressure from Indonesia's solid play and determination, teacher and coach Hoang Anh Tuan still overcame to take the throne.
"I'm very happy, the goal is to reach the final, finally win and win the championship," said Quang Van Chuan, adding that he wanted to dedicate the championship to his family, loved ones and fans, especially who have followed the footsteps to Thailand to support the team.
