Vietnamese team (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam football team arrived home on September 3 eveningand will stay at a hotel following their COVID prevention bubble rulebefore their next match against Australia on September 7 at My Dinh Stadium.
Australia currently are top of Group B after beating China 3-0 at KhalifaInternational Stadium in Qatar on September 3. They are scheduled to arrive in Vietnamon September 4.
Before leaving home, the Vietnamese players lost toSaudi Arabia rivals by three goals to one in their opening World Cup qualifier on September3 in Riyadh.
"We scored first but lost this match. We were unlucky suffering two goalsfrom the penalty spot, and then we played with less men," Coach Park Hang-seo said at the post-match briefing.
"Clearly the shortage of personnel created more problems for us thanour lower level of technique compared to the hosts. The result, of course,could not be changed but if we could play with full players, it could have beencloser."
Park and his players did threaten an upset from the off after an earlygoal by Nguyen Quang Hai three minutes into the game. The team had to work hardto protect their lead in the first half.
The second half saw Vietnamese defender Do Duy Manh receiving a secondyellow card in the 54th minute. His sliding challenge resulted in ahandball inside the box, prompting the referee to point to the spot and send Manhoff following confirmation from VAR.
In the second period Saudi Arabia scored two penalties converted by Salem AlDawsari and Saleh Al Shehri. Yasser Al Shahrani also scoreda stunning header at the King Saud University Stadium.
"My players tried their best," the coach added. "Two penaltiesshowed some lack of tactics which will be perfected when we play back home.
"In the next match we know Australia are stronger than Saudi Arabia.But on home ground, we will try harder," he said./.
VNA
