By Samindra Kunti
January 24 – Vietnam booked a place in the final of the AFC U-23 Championship against Uzbekistan defeating Qatar in the semi-finals on penalties.
Akram Afif, who plies his trade at KAS Eupen in Belgium, opened the score for the Qataris from the penalty spot after Almoez Ali had been dragged down inside the penalty box. In the 69th minute Nguyen Quang Hai equalized after a blunder in Qatar’s defence. Bassam Al-Rawi and Ahmad Moein allowed Hai too much space.
Qatar seemed to have won the game when Almoez Ali scored late on, but there was to be a twist in the tale as Hai pulled Vietnam’s second goal back a minute later with an excellent long-range effort.
In the penalty shoot-out Vietnam prevailed 4-3. On Saturday, the Vietnamese had eliminated Iraq with penalties as well.
The win caused widespread celebrations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and across Vietnam as hundreds of thousands, if not millions, took to the streets to celebrate the achievements of their young fellow countrymen.
“I can’t believe we’ve reached this far, it’s unbelievable,” said Vietnamese captain Xuan Truong. “I feel amazed. Everyone back in Vietnam is going absolutely crazy, and that is one of the best forms of motivation for the players here in China.”
“Before this tournament I said that we [as a team] have something special,” explained Park Hang-seo, the South Korean who coaches Vietnam. “This result against Qatar is a result of my players’ sweat and effort.”
The AFC U23 competition is only being staged for the second time, but as part of its establishment provides an Olympic qualifying route. Japan, who seemingly always look to the long term, sent an U-20 team that was knocked out in the quarterfinals. Other major Asian nations didn’t prioritise the tournament.
As underdogs, Vietnam have had a remarkable and unpredictable journey. They scored just two goals in the group stages and had only 28% possession against South Korea, 24% against Australia and 41% against Syria. Vietnam also had the lowest passing rate of all the 16 participating nations in the first round. Their ball possession improved marginally in the knockout stages with 46% possession against Iraq in the last eight and 36% against Qatar.
The Vietnamese have focused on breaking down the opponent and results, but clearly have a talented if not adventurous play. In 2017 Vietnam qualified for the first time for the U-20 World Cup, a historic achievement, and through positive play they left a good impression in the group stages. The current team have a way to go to match that excitement on the pitch but they certainly stimulated off it.
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