Iran coach Nelo Vingada was disappointed by his team’s 1-4 defeat against Vietnam during their men’s football (soccer) opener at the 17th Asian Games on Monday, but was impressed by their rivals’ spirit in the game.
Vingada was dazzled by the style of play and strong spirit of the under-23 Vietnamese players, the Iran boss said at the post-match press conference.
The Portuguese coach added that he was not shocked by the under-23 Iranian men’s loss, as he had predicted prior to the game that they could lose.
The Vietnamese players outplayed their Iranian rivals, Vingada admitted.
Vietnam, considered the underdogs in the clash with the gold medal favorites, took a 2-0 lead in the first half and scored two more goals in the second to seal a victory that was unexpected to Vietnamese fans and the press.
Iran managed to reduce the lead to 1-2 in the 63rd minute after a penalty shot, but failed to manage a comeback win.
Vingada said that at certain points his men could have done more to win from behind after the penalty goal by captain Mosalman Mohsen.
But the Vietnamese players had such a strong spirit that they played even better after that goal, he added.
Substitute Phi Son lifted the score to 3-1 with a well-taken goal 23 minutes after the break, and Hoang Thinh sealed it 4-1 for Vietnam in the 82nd minute after his free kick struck an Iranian defender and rebounded into the goal frame.
The Iran coach admitted that his players lost their temper toward the end of the match because “they are too young.”
Vingada also praised goalkeeper Buu Ngoc, striker Mac Hong Quan and the Vietnamese defenders. These players totally outperformed his men when it came to fighting for the ball, the Portuguese coach said.
Vietnam’s coach, Toshiya Miura, said he was also astonished by his players’ performance.
The Japanese-born coach said he did believe the team would win, but was stunned to see his men adapt to a new formation so quickly.
Many South Korean reporters also expressed their amazement at Vietnam’s triumph over Iran at the press conference after the match.
They questioned coach Miura as to what he had done to the Vietnamese men, to which he replied that it was speed and stamina training that mattered.
Without stamina and fitness, Vietnam would have seen Iran equalize the match in the second half, the coach said.
The Vietnamese will play their last Group H game against Kyrgyzstan on September 22, while Iran will take on that same team on September 18.
The two teams with the most points in the three-team group will advance to the round of 16, scheduled to begin on September 25.
Twenty-nine teams are playing in the men’s football event. Group A to Group E have four teams each, while Group F, G and H each consists of three teams.
The 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 is hosted by South Korea from September 19 to October 4.
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