Vietnam – Czech Republic: ticket to knockout round remains within reach

Eventually, the Vietnam team has successfully removed the psychological barrier through a convincing victory over Panama to keep alive the hope for the ticket to the knockout round. Coach Pham Minh Giang and his players still have to face an equally unpleasant challenge, the Czech Republic, which has been highly appreciated by the coaching staff since the draw results.
Vietnam – Czech Republic: ticket to knockout round remains within reach ảnh 1 Duc Hoa is going to replace Van Vu in the upcoming match against Czech Republic. (Photo: SGGP)
The Vietnam team made an impression in the winning match against Panama, not only in the result but also in the gameplay. It followed the tactics well and kept a close connection throughout the game, from minimizing imprudence in defense to being sharp in counterattack situations. By executing the reasonable tactics of Coach Pham Minh Giang, the team managed to keep its endurance during the match, especially when Panama is superior in terms of physique and physical strength.

Those are the remarkable features of the Vietnam team through the first two matches. Hence, the team is expected to keep the game balance when competing with the Czech Republic in the decisive match on the evening of September 19. In fact, the Czech is extremely strong, and their level is far different from Panama, so the upcoming game of the Vietnamese team is not easy. The Czech Republic may not be as comprehensive as Brazil. However, its superior physical and technical lineup is enough to make it difficult for Minh Tri and his teammates in this competition.

Noticeably, in this match, Vietnam will not have the presence of Captain Van Vu because he received the second yellow card in the previous one against Panama. Vu is an experienced player, so his absence will take Coach Minh Giang a lot of effort to find an alternative, as well as seek ways to operate the teams. The face-off between goalkeeper Ho Van Y and the "veteran" goalkeeper of the Czech team, who is twice his age, is also interesting.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper Ho Van Y had an impressive performance in the match against Panama. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is putting all its faith in the 46-year-old veteran goalkeeper Libor Gercak. Gercak was the main goalkeeper for the Czech Republic in both of the last two matches. Especially, it was his excellent performance that helped his team to hold up during the first half of the game against Brazil. This goalkeeper has surpassed the record of the Brazilian legendary Falcao to become the oldest player to attend the FIFA Futsal World Cup finals.
Vietnam – Czech Republic: ticket to knockout round remains within reach ảnh 2 The Vietnam Futsal team.
According to the tournament rules, the top two teams in each group will go directly to the round of 16. The four third-place teams with the best results in six groups will win the remaining tickets to move forwards. The current goal difference of minus 7 of Vietnam is quite disadvantageous if the team wraps the qualifying round with 3 points. Therefore, a draw against the Czech Republic will almost guarantee the ticket to advance for Coach Pham Minh Giang and his players. On the contrary, if the Vietnam team loses this match, it will have to wait anxiously for the results of the remaining ones. The match will start at 8 p.m. tonight and live on VTV6.

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