"Caught in the 'Group of Death': Vietnam's 'Woo-su-su' Despair Upon Meeting Korea... 'Will Be Eliminated in Group Stage'"

*This content was translated by AI.

Following the draw for the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, which placed the South Korean national football team in the same group as Vietnam, pessimistic forecasts have emerged among local media and Southeast Asian football fans.

Vietnamese media outlet 'Z News' on the 10th (Korea time) focused on the concern, stating, "Southeast Asian football fans are worried that the Vietnam national team has been drawn into a difficult group for the 2027 Asian Cup."

Earlier, the Asian Cup group draw held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, placed South Korea in Group E alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam, and either Lebanon or Yemen. Regarding this, 'Z News' analyzed, "Group E is considered one of the toughest groups in the tournament's group stage, along with Group F, which includes Japan, Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia."

Immediately after the draw, pessimistic forecasts from Southeast Asian fans flooded social networking services (SNS). According to 'Z News', one fan noted, "Vietnam, drawn into the 'Group of Death,' is highly likely to be eliminated early." Another fan acknowledged the objective gap in team strength, stating, "Korea and the UAE possess capabilities far beyond Vietnam's."

Especially, the opponent Vietnamese fans fear most is undoubtedly Korea. Korea holds an overwhelming advantage with a historical record of 17 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses against Vietnam. Vietnam's last victory dates back 23 years to the 2003 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the most recent matchup, a friendly match held in Suwon in October 2023, Korea secured a decisive 6-0 victory, tallying goals from Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Jung Woo-young, along with an own goal by the opponent.

Powerhouse UAE from Pot 2 is also a formidable opponent for Vietnam. While Korea leads the historical record against the UAE with 13 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, they lost 0-1 in the most recent encounter during the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian final qualifiers. From Vietnam's perspective, they are grouped with Pot 1 and Pot 2 powerhouses.

Some fans are clinging to faint hopes. A few fans expressed expectations that Vietnam could qualify for the knockout stage by finishing within the top three of the group, or that naturalized players could lead the team through the group stage. In this tournament, the top four teams with the best records among the third-place finishers, along with the top two teams from each group, will advance to the round of 16.

Meanwhile, with this group draw, a tactical battle between Korean head coaches has become a possibility. Hong Myung-bo's contract extends through the 2027 Asian Cup. Vietnam is led by coach Kim Sang-sik. The Asian Cup finals will kick off on January 7 next year in Saudi Arabia.

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*This content was translated by AI.