At 1:00 a.m. Beijing time on October 8, 2022 Qatar
World Cup
China will face Vietnam in Group B of the Asian Zone Final 12 at the neutral venue of Sharjah Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. Both teams suffered back-to-back losses in the first round and are eager to get their first win in the third round. The Vietnamese media commented before the match that although Vietnam's individual players are slightly less capable than China's, their overall strength should not be underestimated. Let's compare and analyze the two teams.
Head Coach: Lee Tie and Park Heng-soo's annual salary disparity
In terms of age and coaching experience, Li Tie is clearly no match for Park Hang-su. Park Hang-su has a 25-year coaching career, including nearly four years with Vietnam, and since January 2018 has been the head coach of the Vietnam U23 national team. He led the Vietnam U23 national team to a second-place finish in the U23 Asian Cup, a fourth-place finish in the Asian Games, and titles in the 2018 Southeast Asian Football Championship and 2019 Southeast Asian Games, respectively.
Li Tie's coaching career is only 10 years, most of the time as an assistant coach.In October 2019, the CFA set up a selection team, Li Tie as head coach to participate in the East Asian Football Championship, essentially representing the national team. After Lippi resigned, Li Tie and Li Xiaopeng, Wang Baoshan, three local coaches competing for the position of national football head coach, and eventually Li Tie took over so far.
Both Park Heng-su and Li Tie have studied under famous coaches, with Park Heng-su initially following Hiddink and Li Tie being a disciple of Lippi, and both emphasizing physical training. According to media reports, Li Tie extended his contract with the CFA for five years until 2026, while Park Hengxu renewed his contract for one year until January 2023. It was even reported by domestic media people that Li Tie's annual salary in the national soccer team is not as good as Park Hang-su's, which triggered a hot debate in the Vietnamese media. The price reflects the value, Li Tie in the competition with Park Hengxu can "reverse"?
Goalkeeper: Yan Junling is more reassuring
Yan Junling is the main goalkeeper of the national soccer team in recent years, while Bae Jinchang can only be considered a semi-starter, and Park Hengsu seems to trust Deng Wenlin more. Bui Tan Truong was given the chance to hold the fort due to Dang Van Lin's dislocated left shoulder joint. Bui Tan Truong's goalkeeping has been poor in his last two appearances for Vietnam, being put through three times. Ngan Junling was excellent against Japan and is expected to continue his good form against Vietnam.
Backline: a battle of defenses ravaged by injuries
Both China and Vietnam have been affected by injuries to varying degrees recently. Zhu Chenjie, a young center back in the defense of the national football team, has missed many days of training due to injury and is almost unable to play against Vietnam, while Gao Junyi, a wing back, was unable to take part in the training on the 3rd due to a muscle problem. Happily, Zhang Linpeng and Li Lei, who were previously injured, have resumed joint training, but it is not clear whether they can meet the requirements of the game. For now, Wang Gang is expected to return.
Vietnam's backline also suffered an injury crisis, Duan Van Hau, Nguyen Thanh Chung and Tran Dinh Trung are all injured, and although they do not rule out a comeback against China, it is unlikely that they will start. In the center back, Duy Vi Manh, Gui Nguyen Hai, Bui Chin Dung are trustworthy, and side back Vu Van Thanh also suffered a small injury during the preparation, which is not a big problem. The biggest hidden danger for Vietnam is left back Nguyen Phong Hong Hung Hung, who may get a chance to start due to Duan Van Hau's injury. Nguyen Phong Hong Hung is physically average and has deficiencies in defense and ball control, requiring assistance from other center backs. This could be the breakthrough point for the national soccer team when attacking.
Defensive line: fighting "San Ruan", the national football team in doubt in the center of the field
The midfield of the national football team has been criticized by the outside world, and the use of some of the players has also caused controversy. Zhang Xizhe, who has performed brilliantly in the league, always seems to be unable to play at the highest level in the national team, and Li Tie's use of him has also become a topic of discussion. The team's offensive and defensive ideas can also be seen in the midfield staffing.
Vietnam's midfield may play "three Nguyen" formation, namely Nguyen Tuan Anh, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc. Nguyen Quang Hai is not tall, but very flexible, was the runner-up in the 2018 U23 Asian Cup and the main force, can pass and shoot, is the national football team need to pay special attention to the player.
Striker line: who can carry the goal scoring load between Vu Lei and Nguyen Cong Phong
Wu Lei and Nguyen Cong Phong are undoubtedly the centerpieces of the two teams' forward lines, and the comparison between the two has a long history, after all, Nguyen Cong Phong has also had the experience of staying in the ocean. Unlike Wu Lei, who has a solid position in the national soccer team, Nguyen Cong Phong is returning to the Vietnam team. Nguyen seems to have a slight advantage in terms of athleticism and fitness, scoring frequently in warm-up matches and not having to travel from club to team like Wu Lei. Another striker, Nguyen Chin Linh, played for the Vietnamese national Olympic team and broke the Chinese goal twice. Of course, the Vietnamese media believe that Wu Lei will also have to bear more pressure, after all, the Chinese team has not scored so far in the final 12 stage of the tournament. (Dreo Yo)
