The penalty in the match against U.23 Iraq was the wrong decision.

Returning from the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan shared his thoughts on the reality of Vietnam U23. According to the 56-year-old strategist, the players have tried very hard in the past 4 matches.

"I have correctly assessed the ability of the opponents in our group, but with each specific match, we also have regrets. Each match against U.23 Kuwait, U.23 Malaysia, U.23 Uzbekistan or U.23 Iraq has its own nuances, bringing different emotions to experts and fans.

I mentioned that U.23 Vietnam will improve after each match, and will have a different face. In fact, the players have gradually improved through each challenge. In the match against U.23 Iraq, U.23 Vietnam showed all the weaknesses, strengths, and things that need to be promoted. We have seen the overall picture of Vietnamese football in the coming years," Coach Hoang Anh Tuan shared.

Mr. Tuan added more about the preparation process, along with the controversial decisions of referee Ko Hyung-jin in the 0-1 loss to U.23 Iraq.

"At the beginning, the U.23 Vietnam team's playing style was not perfect, not convincing, there were many mistakes, such as the defense. Or we had unnecessary penalty cards. There were things that were right, things that were not right. For example, the red card that Ngoc Thang received in the first match, there was nothing to argue about. However, the factors that led to the change in the game's situation left a feeling of regret. For example, regarding goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan's mistake, if the referee was really wise and strong, it would not have been a penalty situation.

Stronger than Vietnam, but U.23 Qatar and Korea were also eliminated in the quarter-finals.

In terms of playing style, U.23 Vietnam only gathered for 2 days before leaving (if counting the full squad, it would only take 1 day), along with a friendly match against U.23 Jordan before starting the journey in the Asian tournament. There are many things to pay attention to, analyze, and overcome. However, U.23 Vietnam had bright spots, shown in the match against U.23 Iraq.

That is the attitude, spirit, discipline, tactics, and style of play. Despite the red card, U.23 Vietnam still played very openly throughout the match. The position in the Asian tournament (top 8) shows the position of Vietnamese football, but if the preparation was better, the training time was longer, the result could have been different," said coach Hoang Anh Tuan.

He further analyzed: "For example, host U.23 Qatar was eliminated in the quarter-finals, U.23 Korea won all 3 group stage matches but also stopped. Those were teams much stronger than U.23 Vietnam but were also eliminated. Therefore, if there was more time and better preparation, the gameplay would be more beautiful and positive."

There is a U.23 Vietnam player who hasn't played a single minute for a whole month.

Coach Hoang Anh Tuan said that U.23 Vietnam players have very few opportunities to perform at their home teams.

"In the past, Vietnamese youth football had stars like Cong Phuong, Quang Hai... But at this time, with this generation, the collective spirit is the most important thing. That is a necessary condition but not enough. Because if you follow closely, 90% of the U.23 Vietnam players participating in the U.23 Asia tournament rarely play in the V-League or the first division.

I have statistics on the playing time of the players, the most is Van Chuan. In the last month, Van Chuan is the only one who played more than 600 minutes. The remaining players before the training session had very little playing time, even not playing a single minute in the whole month. That is what makes me think and hesitate a lot.

When returning to the club, young players are not allowed to compete. This is a difficult problem. It can be thought positively that these players have participated in the SEA Games and the U.23 Asia, but those are international tournaments, with only a few matches each year. What about at the club? I am very worried," Coach Hoang Anh Tuan confided.

Although he understands that each team has its own direction in using players, the 56-year-old strategist still hopes that the players will have a place in their home team.

"Each club has its own goals and directions. I'm only talking about the overall perspective, whether the player plays or not depends on the club. Some teams play to survive. There are also teams that play to aim for a goal like winning the championship or being in the top group. This is a very difficult problem. I respect the club very much. The player must serve the club, and each team has its own purpose.

For example, Khuat Van Khang rarely plays. At the moment, only Thai Son is playing regularly for U.23 Vietnam. Van Tung, Van Truong, Van Cuong are sometimes on the field, Vi Hao is also just starting, Nguyen Hoang has only played for SLNA for a very short time. There is a case at Binh Phuoc Club, there is a player who plays for U.23, U.20 and Olympic Vietnam but has not played a single minute. That is the shortcoming and difficulty of U.23 Vietnam," said Mr. Tuan.

The 56-year-old strategist concluded: "I told the players that they must know through the tournament what they have achieved and what they have not achieved, and what their circumstances are. There are players who will not play in the upcoming U.23 Asian Cup, and there are those who will continue. U.23 Vietnam must improve themselves and strive to find a starting position."