Thought the dust had settled on the excitement surrounding Vietnam’s U-23 football team? Think again…
Following their thrilling run to the final in the 2018 Asia Football Confederation (AFC) Championship earlier this year, Vietnam’s Under-23 team will face even tougher opponents during an exhibition tournament in Hanoi this August.
According to VnExpress, the Vietnamese U-23s will play Barcelona’s U-23 B team, along with U-23 teams from Oman and Uzbekistan. The matches will take place at My Dinh Stadium between August 3 and 7.
Although the Barcelona game will no doubt create some excitement, the game against Uzbekistan will provide a chance for the Vietnamese U-23 team to earn a consolation victory following their defeat in freezing conditions in the AFC final earlier this year. This time, they’ll be playing in the heat of summer on home turf, which could be a game changer.
When Vietnam’s U-23 team made it to the final of the AFC Championship in January, people hit the streets to celebrate in huge numbers. With the national U-23 team facing both Barcelona and Uzbekistan, it’s likely people will get a kick out of these games, too.
The next big test for the Vietnamese U-23 team is the upcoming U-23 Asian Games. It is hoped the exhibition tournament in Hanoi will get the ball rolling in their preparation for this event, with the Asian Games presenting the biggest challenge for the team since the 2018 AFC Championship.
The Asian Games is a multi-sport event that takes place every four years, with this year’s event being held in Indonesia. Hanoi was the original host for the games but withdrew due to financial constraints.
Tran Duc Phan, Deputy Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, has said Vietnam will be sending around 200 athletes to compete in 23-26 events.
[Photo via Bao Giao Thong]
