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"Congratulations to the players, they have played well and deserve this result. We have analyzed Vietnam carefully and we know what to do. Everything went as planned, except conceding a goal in the third minute. But that’s a part of football. The important thing is my players have been patient and handled the situation well after conceding early," Renard said in the post-match interview.
Vietnam took an early lead when Nguyen Quang Hai scored from outside the box in the third minute. However, Do Duy Manh’s red card in the 49th minute was the turning point of the game as it helped Saudi Arabia turn the tie around when playing against a 10-man Vietnam.
When asked if Saudi Arabia's victory was due to Manh’s red card, Renard denied it.
"That's your opinion, not mine. My players have performed well, especially in the second half. Anyway, congratulations to Vietnam because they are having a great generation of players. Their game plan was well-prepared," he said.
Saudi Arabia will play Oman in the next game, while Vietnam will face Australia in Hanoi on Sept. 7.
World Cup qualifiers: Saudi Arabia 3-1 Vietnam
