On the evening of March 26, 2022, Beijing time, the second round of the Dubai Cup began, Croatia U23 VS Vietnam U23. In the first half, the two teams drew 0-0. In the 76th minute of the second half, Croatia scored a goal. In the end, Croatia U23 won 1-0 against Vietnam and won the first game of the Dubai Cup.
The two teams have not yet met in history, and in the first round, Vietnam U23 drew 0-0 with Iraq. Croatia, on the other hand, were beaten 0-1 by Japan. This confrontation is also a contest between a traditional European strong team and a third-rate team in Asia, which is still in the booming stage. If Croatia draws or wins against Vietnam, then the impact of public opinion at home will not be small.
As soon as the match began, Croatia took on Vietnam, and the 62% possession was enough to say it all. The Vietnamese team was very tough defensively, which was a little different than the Southeast Asian team we imagined. It should be said that vietnamese football has been gradually jumping out of the restrictions of Southeast Asian races in the past ten years, and in terms of football, it is moving in the right direction.
In the first half, Croatia had to accept a 0-0 draw after wasting a number of good opportunities. In the second half, Vietnam began to try more attacks, and the competition between the two teams in midfield became the key to affecting the rhythm of the game. The Vietnamese team also gave full play to the technical advantages of the "little fast spirit", and the skillful cooperation in the midfield made the Croatian team somewhat uncomfortable.
However, after all, it is a strong Team in Europe, and there is still a foundation. In the 77th minute, Croatia broke the ball in the midfield, after three consecutive times of cooperation, the Croatian striker hit a "sticking slash" at about 28 meters in front of the goal, the Vietnamese goalkeeper did not save in time, croatia temporarily led the Vietnamese team 1-0.
Subsequently, although the Vietnamese team was actively trying to launch an attack, the offensive routine was too messy. It is worth mentioning that as of the 90th minute, the Vietnamese team did not even have a goal, of course, the Croatian team was nothing more than a kick on the goal. It should be said that in the Croatian U23, which lacks at least five or six main players, its strength is indeed not very good.
In the end, Croatia U23 defeated Vietnam U23 1-0 to win the first game of this year's Dubai Cup. Croatia only had one shot on goal, which was embarrassing enough, you know, they were facing not Japan, South Korea, but Vietnam U23. And the Vietnamese U23 team is not much better, the whole game 0 shots, Croatia really achieved a clean sheet Vietnamese team.
This game also ended the 2 major records. First, vietnam U23 ended its history of unbeaten in six games in all competitions; second, this match was also the first time Croatian U23 hit an Asian team.