After losing to Thailand in the semi-finals, U16 Vietnam missed their chance to reach the final of ASEAN U16 Boy’s Championship 2024
Despite taking the lead with a goal, the U16 Vietnam failed to maintain their advantage as they were overturned by U16 Thailand with a 1-2 defeat. As a result, they missed out on a spot in the final and will now compete in the third-place playoff at the ASEAN U16 Boy’s Championship 2024.
02/07/2024 10:11:15
The U16 Vietnam was predicted to face a tough match against U16 Thailand in the semi-finals of the 2024 ASEAN U16 Championship. Indeed, the developments on the field in the first half proved this prediction to be entirely accurate. Thailand, with their highly rated young players, caused numerous difficulties for Coach Tran Minh Chien’s team.
U16 Thailand started the game better, actively controlling possession and continuously exerting pressure on the U16 Vietnam. In the 8th minute, goalkeeper Thang Long’s net almost bulged after a close-range header from a Thai forward. Fortunately, the Vietnamese goalkeeper managed to leap and make a visible save to prevent a goal. In the 16th minute, Hong Quang once again used his back to block a close-range shot from Phosri.
With exquisite individual skills and consistent tactical acumen, U16 Thailand easily dictated the flow of the game. The young Thai players confidently controlled possession, orchestrated combinations, and created spaces to penetrate the Vietnamese U16 defense. It must be noted that U16 Vietnam were fortunate not to concede a goal in the first half.
In addition to the mentioned opportunities, U16 Thailand had about 2-3 clear chances that they couldn’t capitalize on. Being under pressure forced U16 Vietnam to retreat deep into their own field, occasionally launching lone counterattacks. The two most notable chances for U16 Vietnam in the first half both involved the young forward Nguyen Van Bach.
The first opportunity was when a PVF player threaded a pass for Viet Long, who broke through and faced the U16 Thailand’s goalkeeper. However, Viet Long was caught offside and missed the chance. The second chance involved Nguyen Van Bach dribbling past two Thai defenders and delivering a pass into the penalty area, but Hong Phong’s shot was unsuccessful.”
At the beginning of the second half, U16 Vietnam unexpectedly gained the upper hand. In the 52nd minute, from a corner kick situation, Hong Quang was obstructed by a Thai defender inside the penalty area. After consulting VAR, the referee determined that the U16 Thailand’s defender had committed a foul against Hong Quang and awarded a penalty to U16 Vietnam. From the penalty spot, Hong Phong successfully converted the penalty, opening the scoring at 1-0 for U16 Vietnam.
After opening the scoring, the spirit of U16 Vietnam was quite high. However, the joy for Coach Minh Chien’s team did not last long. In the 60th minute, U16 Thailand equalized 1-1 against U16 Vietnam with a brave header from Phothong. Following this goal, the Thai player had to leave the field on a stretcher and was urgently hospitalized.
In the following minutes, the game became thrilling with both teams continuously attacking. In the 80th minute, Duy Dang missed a chance to make it 2-1 with a header that hit the crossbar. Unable to settle the match, U16 Vietnam paid the price. In the 90+2nd minute, receiving a pass from his teammate, Chalwat scored a decisive goal to make it 2-1 for U16 Thailand. In the added minutes, U16 Vietnam made efforts to find an equalizer but couldn’t succeed, reluctantly watching their opponents advance to the final of the 2024 ASEAN U16 Championship.
