According to coach Herve Renard, there were many times when Saudi Arabia had to suffer to preserve a 1-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2022 World Cup qualifier, on the evening of November 16.
“Saudi Arabia faced many difficulties in the last 10 minutes. It was inevitable when Vietnam rushed to find an equalizer. However, we controlled well thanks to a solid defense. Saudi Arabia knew how to fight. I do my best when playing on the Vietnamese field,” said coach Renard after winning the sixth round of Group B at My Dinh Stadium.
Not too dominant in terms of opportunities, even the whole match only two shots on target, Saudi Arabia won all three points thanks to the only goal of striker Saleh Al Shehri in the 31st minute. In the first leg, the West Asian team lost the lead but took advantage of the superiority to win 3-1. To date, only Vietnam and China have conceded Saudi Arabia in the third stage of the World Cup qualifiers – the Asian region.
“We know this match will be more difficult than the first leg. It is always difficult to control the game when playing on the field of Vietnam. We are also aware that this is a difficult group,” commented Renard. “Despite winning three points, Saudi Arabia still has four matches to go. It’s a long way. However, I believe the team has a great opportunity to attend the World Cup because there are two home matches left.”
Besides the close score, the confrontation at My Dinh Stadium also witnessed tense moments. A total of seven yellow cards were drawn, of which five were for Vietnam. Players on both sides also repeatedly collided and argued, leading to a scuffle. Regarding this, Renard said: “When both teams want to win, it is difficult to avoid a collision that leads to a penalty card. The players all want to fight for the home team’s goal. I want to congratulate Vietnam for playing. They have good control of the ball, react well and have some good players, it’s very difficult to face. In my opinion, Vietnam hasn’t got the points not because they haven’t played well enough but because this group is too difficult.” .
