Vietnam welcome the visitors Japan in the Asian Cup – Play Offs – Quarter-finals. The match will be held on Thursday, January 24th, at the Al Maktoum Stadium (Dubai).
Vietnam’s fairy tale is about to end. The ¼ Asian Cup final is the maximum they can dream of. The team’s squad is not very illustrative for ordinary fans. The only conclusion we came to while watching Vietnam play is that they demonstrate spectacular football. They don’t focus much on the defense despite their frugal performers. In their clashes against Iran and Iraq, Vietnam did not possess a lot indeed, but they did not park the bus. On the contrary, the team were actively rushing forward. The players made silly mistakes and played rude, cutting themselves at times. This is a matter of class; Vietnam’s willingness to attack was obvious though. This is in the head-to-heads against Iran and Iraq where the team’s defensive problems revealed. 5 missed goals is a lot given that the Asian football is not effective.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Overall, Vietnam are among the worst Asian Cup contenders going by their defense. The team allowed 53 hits, 18 shots on target, and 7 hits on the net. A lot. This is, rather, a side effect of the attacking playing style, which may have consequences in the game versus Japan, as there is a gulf in the sides’ class.
Japan have not failed in the current competition so far, though they competed with Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, quite solid national teams by the Asian standards. Over the span of 4 matches, the Japanese netted 7 times, made 51 hits on goal, and 21 shots on target. This is a good record. The main thing is that the Japan team are flexible, they can play both first and second. For example, in the matches against Turkmenistan and Oman, they possessed over 60% of the time, as the opponents were defending much; while in the encounters versus Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, they possessed only 23% and 43% of the time, respectively. Vietnam will not play defense first tomorrow, and their keenness on attacking actions may lead to a hammering at the hands of the opponent.
Prediction for the match: Japan to win with a -1.5 handicap.
