Vietnam are set to take on powerhouses Brazil early on September 14 (Vietnamese time) as the Southeast Asian side kick-start their Group D campaign in the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021.

Vietnamese futsal players in action during a training session on September 12.

This promises to be a crunch encounter for coach Pham Minh Giang’s troops with title favourites Brazil expected to field a quality lineup of highly skillful and experienced players, including 30-year-old pivot Carlos Vagner Gularte Filho, also known as Ferrao, who plays for the Barcelona futsal club in Spain.

Sharing with reporters ahead of the game, Vu admitted the difficulties ahead for he and his teammates, but affirmed Vietnam’s readiness for any challenge.

“The match will certainly be tough for Vietnam, as Brazil are currently ranked second in the world with quite a few futsal stars. However, we have made active preparations for the World Cup since winning the playoff against Lebanon with full knowledge of who we will face” he stated.

Eight years ago, Brazil lost 2-3 against Vietnam, coached by Italy’s Sergio Gargelli, in a friendly tournament in Ho Chi Minh City. It was Vu who scored to make it 2-2 for the hosts, a sweet memory for the 31-year-old skipper. However, one year later, Vietnam were beaten 8-1 when the two sides clashed in a Grand Prix event hosted by Brazil.

According to coach Pham Minh Giang, Brazil are very strong in attack with many players possessing excellent skills, so it will not be surprising when the South American team provide very strong opposition to Vietnam.

“We have prepared countermeasures and will take advantage of fast counterattack to produce threats on the opposite goal,” Giang said.

The 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup will be hosted by Lithuania from September 12 to October 3, with the participation of 24 teams, drawn in six groups of four. The group stage will be played in a round robin format to determine the top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams for the round of 16.

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Source: NDO