HLV Hoàng Ngọc Hào: 'The second round of the World Cup will see an explosion of goals'

The opening round of the 2026 World Cup has ended with several surprises. Evaluating the upcoming dynamics, coach Hoàng Ngọc Hào (Hanoi Youth Club) thinks that the second round will be when teams accelerate, proactively launching full-scale attacks to quickly determine the group outcomes: "During the first matches, numerous pairings finished with prudent ties such as 0-0, 1-1, or 2-2.

However, I personally believe the second round will be explosive, with many goals and winning margins of two or more goals. As someone who loves the philosophy of attacking football, I am eagerly anticipating teams playing end-to-end and delivering thrilling score chases for the fans.

In the first match, the US team secured an impressive 4-1 victory. I think the host nation will pocket another win when they face Australia.

Although Australia pulled off a surprise win against Turkey in the first round, facing a highly determined US host with meticulous preparation will make it very difficult for the Asian representatives to create another upset.

Another reason I place my trust in the US team is their home advantage. Football in the US is heavily entertainment-oriented, and the local fans particularly favor a free-flowing, attack-minded style. Therefore, the US team will undoubtedly push forward to impose their game from the start. They possess stars capable of creating breakthroughs through fast dribbling from the wings or unleashing powerful long-range shots to break the deadlock."

Additionally, coach Hoàng Ngọc Hào provided deep analysis on the crucial match between Scotland and Morocco: "Both Scotland and Morocco desperately want to win this game to ease their path to the next round. For Scotland, since they face a huge challenge against Brazil in the final round, they must earn at least one point in this second match.

As for Morocco, the African representatives are brimming with confidence and need a victory to swing open the door to the knockout stage after brilliantly holding Brazil to a draw in the opener. If they secure four points after two matches, Morocco will be in an extremely advantageous position, as they only face the group's weakest opponent, Haiti, in the final round."

Concluding his analysis, the former player of Saigon Club and Hong Linh Ha Tinh fully backs giants like the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan: "I think the Netherlands and Germany will have little trouble securing victories in this round.

The Netherlands put on a very polished performance against Japan; they will surely continue to unleash their trademark all-out attacking style, the hallmark of the 'Clockwork Orange'.

As for Germany, their crushing 7-1 victory in the first match was extremely impressive. Ivory Coast is a tough opponent with abundant physical strength, but I believe the German 'Panzers' will still overwhelm them with the high-intensity, committed pressing football that coach Julian Nagelsmann is pursuing.

Similarly, Japan also played exceptionally well in the first round. If they maintain that focus and relentless attacking tempo, defeating Tunisia is well within their reach. Japanese football is clearly demonstrating its desire and capability to truly rise to the world stage."