Vietnamese defender Nhat Tan (front) will have a hard time stopping Iran’s playmaker Ahmad Amirkamdar in the semifinal clash

Vietnam’s young team will have a difficult time overcoming powerful Iran, while Thailand is expected to brush Singapore aside in the Thanh Nien Cup semifinals at Tu Do Stadium in central Hue city Town this evening.

The Iranian players are exceptional in terms of skills and strategies, and also superior in height and strength.

Top players like Ahmad Amirkamdar, Jalalaldin, Karim and Rasoul Kar play with more maturity and experience than their ages indicate.

Coached by Croatian Markar Aghajanian, Iran is well-balanced at all positions with no weaknesses among the lines.

“It will be extremely hard to defeat Iran because their players apply their coach’s strategies very well,” Vietnam’s U.21 head coach Quoc Tan said. “Iranian players are stronger than Vietnamese counterparts, making it difficult for our players in one-on-one situations. However, we will do our best to create an opening, as every team has weaknesses.”

Tan will rely on players up front such as Duc Thien, Van Khai and Duc Tai to create and convert scoring chances.

The Vietnamese coaching staff will probably have defenders Nhat Tan and Trong Phu shadow Iran’s dangerous playmaker Amirkamdar throughout the contest.

However, stamina will present a great problem for the Vietnamese players as they likely won’t keep up with their Iranian opponents for the whole 90 minutes. Several key players are still nursing injuries for the home team, while others had indicated they were out of breath trying to keep up in the previous loss to Thailand.

The Vietnamese defense is another big concern heading into the match. Based on the poor performance and lack of confidence displayed against Malaysia and Thailand in the previous two affairs, the home team will quickly be overwhelmed by Iran’s strength and tenacity if the back lines can’t correct its mistakes.

Despite being the favorites coming in to the clash, Iran’s coach Aghjanian said: “Vietnam’s U.21 team have the advantage of being the home team, so I have warned my players to not lose concentration. We must be cautious the entire 90 minutes to win.”

Talented Thais

On the other side of the bracket, Thailand’s young players have made good impressions all around at the tournament, exhibiting strong play with excellent skills and strategies.

Thailand’s rising young stars, including captain Suphaphorn, Yodark, Theerathon, Anut, Sirnok and Ekkachai all lead by example, providing support and guidance to all players.

Being the only team in Southeast Asia to qualify for the U19 Asian Football Championship to take place in Saudi Arabia from October 31 – November 14, Thailand has done nothing to disprove its reputation as an elite squad.

After cruising past Malaysia 4-1 and Vietnam 2-1 in the group stage, many football experts expect the team to dominate Singapore en route to the final on Sunday.

“It’s hard to predict anything in football. Not many people thought Singapore would beat Myanmar, but they did. Therefore, we are not overconfident heading into our clash,” Thailand’s head coach Kawin Kachendecha said.

Singapore’s coach Pathmanathan Thambiayah said: “We are not too serious about winning the title. We just want to advance as far as possible into the tournament and let our players learn from the experience.”

But Singapore is not lacking confidence coming into the showdown. “Thailand is a mighty team, but we have our own way to beat them.” Thambiayah said.

Reported by Quang Huy - Giang Lao