Although the Vietnam squad consists of mainly their U – 23 players, the team should not be taken lightly by its opponent, seeded stronger United Arab Emirates (UAE). In terms of FIFA ranking, both teams have a considerable gap. UAE is ranked at 94 while Vietnam is ranked at 142. However Vietnam U – 23 squad has shown a positive result by qualifying into the next round of the 2008 Olympic games. And Coach Alfred Riedl quickly seized these young guns to play for the senior team. With the support of their die hard soccer fans, My Dinh stadium can really upset UAE performance greatly. Vietnam supporters are famous for their loud chants which can at least disrupt the concentration of the opponent.

Vietnam has also shown a promising performance by their spectacular win against one of the Middle East top team, Bahrain. Vietnam won 5 – 3 recently. Although the game highlighted defensive frailty for Vietnam their offense side was superb. Their trident Le Cong Vinh, Nguyen Anh Duc and Nguyen Minh Phuong have proven that their attacking power is to be feared.

UAE coach, Bruno Metsu is famed for his brilliant strategy and adaptability. Metsu’s main ammunition is of course the Gulf Cups best player, Ismail Matar. Having scored 5 goals in 5 matches in the Gulf Cup, Matar plays a key role in UAE attacking side. However, UAE hope will be diminished if Matar does not make it to the opening game against the host Vietnam. Ismail Matar is currently undergoing treatment to alleviate an injury picked up in a league game. UAE hope is also diminished by the decision of its government to reject the nationalization of Al Wasl’s talented striker, Alexander Oliviera. Oliviera is a talented striker whom Metsu and many UAE soccer enthutiast endorse. Without Oliviera and Matar, UAE will find it’s hard to rival Vietnam superb attacking side. You can catch Vietnam v UAE on June 8^th with live soccer online broadcasting the Asian Cup.