India U17 Coach: 'Drawing with Vietnam is not a bad result'

Coach Bibiano Fernandes highly appreciated Vietnam's defense, and the 1-1 draw accurately reflected the situation in the opening match of the U17 Asian Cup on the evening of June 17.

Coach Bibiano Fernandes directs the match between U17 India and U17 Vietnam. Photo: AFC

The match at Thammasat Stadium started in Vietnam's favor. In the 44th minute, Le Dinh Long Vu opened the scoring after a counterattack. However, Malemngamba's brilliant long-range shot combined with goalkeeper Bao Ngoc's high-up play in the 69th minute brought the match back to a balance.

According to Sofascore , Vietnam controlled the ball more with 57%, launched 12 shots with three on target. India had 14 shots and five on target, and committed 18 fouls, twice as many as Vietnam.

According to coach Bibiano Fernandes, India had a lot of possession in the first half but could not penetrate the Vietnamese defence. "Vietnam defended well and created many chances," he said. "A draw is not a bad result because the 50-50 match can go either way."

In Vietnam’s press conference, coach Hoang Anh Tuan said he regretted that his players played below their best and could not maintain control of the game after scoring. Meanwhile, coach Fernandes was not disappointed with his players because this was the opening match and believed they would play well in the next match.

"There are always lessons after every match," said the 46-year-old coach. "We will review the match against Vietnam to improve in the next match. I am sure the players will be more confident and comfortable to show their talent and try to win."

Like the Vietnam U17 coach, Fernandes assessed that Japan's 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan was a good result for the four teams in Group D. In the second round on June 20, India will face Uzbekistan again at Thammasat Stadium, while Vietnam will face Japan at Rajamangala Stadium. Japan is the current U17 Asian champion and also the team with the most championships in the tournament.

Hieu Luong

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