Vietnam lose 0-2 to China in friendly match

By VNA October 10, 2023 | 06:46 pm PT

Vietnam's Nguyen Hoang Duc (number 14) dribbles past China captain Wu Xi in a friendly on October 10, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Doan Huynh

Head coach of Vietnam's national football team Philipe Troussier said he was not surprised at the team's 2-0 loss to China in the friendly on Tuesday when talking to the press following the match in Dalian, China.

He added that both teams have equal goal-scoring chances, and Vietnam could have beaten China.

The team have undergone restructuring in preparation for the qualifiers of World Cup 2026 and Asian Cup 2023 scheduled in the beginning of 2024, he said, adding he was pleased with the team's confidence and solidarity throughout the match with China.

Both teams started the match slowly, but Vietnam played with more confidence, despite all the odds stacked against them.

The stats showed that Troussier's men had more possession, and more accurate passes in the first half than the Dragon's Team.

In the final minutes of the first half, Vietnam had more chances but clumsy footwork in the final third sent the Golden Star Warriors to the locker room with a goalless draw at the interval.

Troussier brought on young stars in the second half, hoping for creativity in attack. The changes brought control of the match to Troussier's men, with countless opportunities coming in the first ten minutes.

However, a smart China took the lead in the 56th minute, when Liu Yang's cross from the left found an unmarked Wang Qiuming, who fired a one-touch volley into Lam’s net.

After Nguyen Tien Linh was sent off in the 89th minute, China with the man advantage, reversed the pressure and capitalized with a goal from Wu Lei in the eighth minute of added time.

Vietnam have two more tougher oppositions in this international friendly calendar, as they face Uzbekistan in a behind-closed-doors game on October 13, and South Korea in Suwon on October 17.