Affirming progress

Not only shown through the results, but coach Diego Giustozzi's students had a convincing performance, affirming their progress in the continental arena.

In Group E, the Vietnamese team (ranked 26th in the world ) won 9-1 in the opening match against Hong Kong (ranked 123rd in the world), then defeated the host China (ranked 85th in the world) with a score of 7-2. After 2 matches, coach Diego Giustozzi and his team won 6 absolute points, scored 16 goals and conceded 3 goals, with a goal difference of +13.

In the final match taking place this afternoon, September 24, Duc Hoa and his teammates only need to draw with Lebanon (4 points) to win a ticket to the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship Finals. In the qualifying round, 31 teams are divided into 8 groups, the 8 group winners and 7 second-place teams with the best results will qualify for the Finals with host Indonesia in January 2026. In theory, the Vietnamese team is still not sure to continue, but in reality, the opportunity for coach Diego Giustozzi and his team to enter the Finals is very high.

Two consecutive big wins against Hong Kong and China not only brought important points but also left many special emotions for Vietnamese Futsal fans. It is a strong affirmation of the team's great progress under the coaching of Coach Diego Giustozzi, along with the maturity of the new generation of players.

Against Hong Kong, the Vietnamese team entered the match with confidence, deployed a coherent game plan and put pressure on their opponents right from the start. Their connection, understanding and ability to effectively take advantage of opportunities helped the players create a "rain of goals" into the opponent's net.

The second match against a determined host was considered a “test of fire” for their mettle. Under pressure from the opposing audience, the Vietnamese players demonstrated their speedy playing style, comprehensive pressing and especially their coolness in finishing. This match was easier than expected when the Vietnamese team led 5-0 in the first half, creating the premise for the match to end with a score of 7-2.

The highlight of both matches above was the balance in strength and the ability to combine and coordinate between the teams. Coach Diego Giustozzi was very clever in arranging players who have trained and played for many years at the club to fight side by side in the past two matches.

That is the youth and enthusiasm of the Thai Son Bac team with Da Hai, Ngoc Anh, Minh Quang, Cong Dai, Quang Nguyen and the experience and bravery of the Thai Son Nam team with Manh Dung, Doan Phat, Gia Hung, Duc Hoa, Thinh Phat.

This arrangement has helped the teams to develop their understanding of each other's playing style. This has helped individuals to develop their strengths and support each other very well. Without relying too much on individuals, the team has shown depth and balance in the teams with many players ready to shine.

Two consecutive victories are proof of serious preparation, reasonable strategy and brave fighting spirit. The opportunity to practice and compete with strong opponents during the preparation period also contributed to the Vietnamese team's great confidence when entering the tournament.

The combination of experienced players and young players will be the foundation for coach Diego Giustozzi and his team to realize the goals set before departure.

The final and most difficult challenge is Lebanon (ranked 54th in the world), the team that caused a lot of trouble for the Vietnamese team in the two matches in the play-off round for a ticket to the 2021 World Cup (Vietnam won 1-0 after the first and second legs). Lebanon is an experienced team, having participated in many continental tournaments. The West Asian team has a solid, disciplined playing style and is not lacking in individuals with the ability to explode.

However, in this qualifying round, Lebanon is showing unconvincing performance, they barely won against host China 2-1 and then let Hong Kong hold them to a 1-1 draw. This makes the West Asian team only have 4 points in Group E and they must beat Vietnam to be able to enter the final round.

For the Vietnamese team, a draw in this afternoon's match will be enough to advance. In case the team loses by a moderate score, the possibility of entering the final round is also very high because of the high goal difference.

However, the goal of coach Diego Giustozzi and his team is not to draw but to aim for a victory to take the top spot and participate in the biggest Futsal tournament in the continent for the seventh consecutive time (the team has entered the finals 6 times since 2014). With careful preparation, stable performance and high morale, the belief in a positive result against Lebanon is completely well-founded.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/khang-dinh-su-tien-bo-169947.html