Khanh Hoa U-21s win thrilling semi clash

Khatoco Khanh Hoa triumphed 3-2 over favourites Binh Dinh in a heated battle last Saturday for a spot in the final of the Thanh Nien Under-21 Football Cup final

Khanh Hoa will take on PJICO Song Lam Nghe An, who outplayed An Giang in the other semi-final, in the final, while Binh Dinh walk away with VND30mil for their third place finish.

The visitors, looking for their fourth win in four games, fell behind at the Nha Trang Stadium in the 18th minute thanks to a short-range goal by Khanh Hoa’s Van Thuan.

Binh Dinh’s Thanh Sang managed to level the score with a low shot but the hosts regained the lead from a penalty.

The score was balanced again in the 64th minute when Binh Dinh’s Huu Tri got one past Khanh Hoa goalkeeper Van Thach.

To add the finishing touches to a prolific goal-scoring game, with just seven minutes left on the clock, Hai scored to make it 3-2 to Khanh Hoa.

“We are very happy. My boys played well so they deserved the victory. Our opponents in the final will be mighty Nghe An,” said coach Hoang Anh Tuan at the post-game conference. “But every team has weak points and I believe my boys can pick them out.”

Binh Dinh’s coach Nguyen Ngoc Thien rued his team’s narrow loss.

“My boys played their best but they were unlucky,” he said.

Host coach Hoang Anh Tuan opted for a defensive formation with only striker Hai up front to take on mighty Binh Dinh, whose morale high after three consecutive wins in the qualifying round.

The visitors started strongly and quickly dominated the game with swift attacks along both wings.

Striker Ngoc Tri had fans on the edge of their seats when in the 15th minute he cut into the six-yard box before blasting a powerful strike just inches wide.

But three minutes later Khanh Hoa took the lead after launching a counter-attack.

Winger Xuan Phu calmly navigated a through pass from skipper Hai on the left flank before delivering a low cross to Thuan, who tapped the ball home in a one-on-one show-down with goalie Van Khoa.

Binh Dinh then pressed for the equaliser but failed to break the hosts’ stubborn resistance.

In the 34th minute Binh Dinh’s Sang broke away from his markers to get on the end of a long pass from Quoc Nghia before beating Thach to score.

The game continued at a frantic pace after the break with the hosts making a decisive breakthrough in the 52nd minute.

Man of the match, Hai, restored the lead for the hosts after visiting defender Thai Hoang pushed him down leading to a penalty, which the striker took full advantage of.

Unbowed, the visitors made several offensive attacks.

Their efforts paid off in the 64th minute when Quoc Thinh sent a perfect pass into the path of Tri, who restored parity with a powerful close-range shot.

But Binh Dinh’s momentum seemed to slow after scoring the equaliser.

It proved to be their undoing and Hai grabbed his second in the 83rd minute, out jumping Binh Dinh’s defenders from inside the penalty area to head the ball past a diving Khoa Dien from Thuan’s cross.

The third goal proved decisive and saw the home side through to the final.

VNS