Despite a narrow 2-1 defeat to Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals of the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Championship, the Vietnam national futsal team, under the guidance of Coach Diego Giustozzi, still holds a promising chance to qualify for the Futsal World Cup 2024 through the playoff rounds.
Coach Giustozzi commended his team for their performance against a traditionally stronger Uzbekistan. “We lost today, but the tournament is not over for us yet. Vietnam still has two more games to play, so the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup remains. The most crucial task now is to recover both physically and mentally. Our next opponents, Kyrgyzstan, will have had more rest than us, which is a challenge,” he stated.
Reflecting on the match, Giustozzi expressed satisfaction with the team’s effort and execution: “I’m pleased with how we played. We defended well in 4-4 situations and managed to control the game better in the first half. We created several opportunities that, if capitalized on better, could have changed the course of the game.”
Despite the setback, Giustozzi remains optimistic about the upcoming challenges. “We need to acknowledge that we performed well against a team that is a regular at the World Cup and consistently competes for top spots in Asia. Our players gave their all and executed our plan well today. If we continue to play with this level of determination and skill, I am confident we will overcome Kyrgyzstan in the upcoming playoff,” he added.
The Vietnamese team is set to face Kyrgyzstan in their first playoff match at 4 PM on April 26th. With continued strong performance and strategic play, Vietnam aims to secure their spot in the upcoming Futsal World Cup, demonstrating the resilience and skill that Coach Giustozzi has instilled in his team.
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