Vietnam national football team will face a crucial World Cup qualifier against Iraq on June 12 without the services of forward Nguyen Van Toan, who is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards.
Vietnam secured a vital 3-2 victory over the Philippines in their previous match. Meanwhile, Indonesia fell 0-2 to Iraq, leaving the standings tightly contested. Currently, Vietnam sits with six points and a goal difference of -2, while Indonesia has seven points and an identical goal difference.
In theory, Vietnam still has a chance to advance in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Specifically, if Vietnam draws with Iraq and Indonesia loses to the Philippines, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team will advance. Alternatively, Vietnam can secure advancement by defeating Iraq if Indonesia does not win against the Philippines.
Given these scenarios, Vietnam needs a positive result against a formidable Iraq team to keep their World Cup hopes alive. However, as the team prepares for their departure to Iraq on June 8, they face a significant setback. Nguyen Van Toan, one of their key forwards, will miss the decisive match due to suspension. Toan received yellow cards in matches against Indonesia (March 21) and the Philippines (June 6), resulting in an automatic suspension for accumulating two yellow cards.
This suspension means that Vietnam will be without one of their critical offensive players. On the other hand, Coach Kim will be pleased with the return of center-back Bui Hoang Viet Anh. The 1999-born defender missed the 3-2 win against the Philippines due to a similar suspension.
According to the team’s schedule, the Vietnam national team will depart for Iraq early on June 8. They will have three days to prepare before the crucial match. The game against Iraq is scheduled for 1:00 AM on June 12, Vietnam time. This match will be pivotal, as the result of the Indonesia-Philippines game will also become clear around the same time.
As Vietnam gears up for this significant encounter, the team and its supporters will be hoping for a favorable outcome to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
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