VN whip Indonesia at Olympic qualifier
Top striker Le Cong Vinh scored the only goal to help Viet Nam edge Indonesia 1-0 in the second group stage of qualifiers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics…
Vinh, 22, trapped a crucial right cross from Nguyen Minh Chuyen 15 minutes from the final whistle and passed Indonesian defender Boby Satria inside the penalty area before stunning goalie Roni Triprasnanto with a close-range shot.
The win gained put the team at six points ahead of their continuing qualification match against powerhouses Oman in the first leg on March 28 at away turf. They will host the second leg on April 18.
In their first match last month, Viet Nam also shut down Lebanon 2-0 at Nam Dinh”s Thien Truong Stadium.
After starting the match slowly, Viet Nam stepped up its offensive attacks in the first half, but striker Nguyen Minh Duc and midfielder Mai Tien Thanh couldn”t put anything away.
Coach Mai Duc Chung put more pressure on Indonesia”s defence in the second half by sending in an additional striker, Huynh Phuc Hiep, who scored twice in the Olympic qualifier, to the front line alongside Cong Vinh.
The change paid off: Viet Nam controlled the second half, leaving no chance for Indonesia to threaten keeper Tran Duc Cuong, who, together with defender Nguyen Thanh Long Giang, maintained a shut out.
Striker Cong Vinh and Phuc Hiep lead the scoring list for Viet Nam in the qualifying round with two goals each.
Indonesia still have no points from their two matches after suffering a 0-3 loss to Oman in the first match last month.
VNS
