Defeating Malaysia 2-0 thanks to the efforts of Nham Manh Dung and Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Vietnam entered the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup with second place in Group C.
The match ended in the first half, Vietnam scored two goals and Malaysia received a red card and played with 10 players in the second half. In the final minutes of the match, coach Gong Oh-kyun’s team only passed the ball in the middle of the field to preserve the score, maintain strength and avoid injury or penalty cards.
Vietnam and South Korea passed the group stage, Vietnam will meet the top team of Group D in the quarterfinals on June 12.
In the 28th minute, U23 Vietnam opened the scoring. Manh Dung passed to Nguyen Hai Long down the left side, then passed to Nguyen Thanh Nhan. At the same time, Manh Dung ran into the penalty area, and received Thanh Nhan’s ball to head into Malaysia’s net.
Malaysia collapsed after being led, U23 Vietnam also missed a lot of opportunities
The second goal came from a situation where Manh Dung collided with a defender, causing Malaysia to break the ball poorly. Dung Quang Nho suddenly got the ball in the penalty area, then the ball hit defender Hairiey Hakim’s hand. The referee doesn’t give a penalty, but he checked it again with VAR. It took more than five minutes for referee Dilan Perera (Sri Lanka) to give a penalty for Vietnam, and a direct red card for Hairiey.
Center-back captain Viet Anh took a penalty kick to the bottom right corner, but was blocked by goalkeeper Firdaus. Fortunately, the ball bounced back for Viet Anh to kick back into the net, making the score 2-0. The match was considered over, when Malaysia had only 10 men and lost two goals.
Vietnam tried to score more goals at the beginning of the second half, avoiding the case of South Korea and Thailand drawing 2-2. Coach Gong Oh-kyun’s team completed the task of passing the group stage, and did not receive any more cards or injuries.
The quarter-final match of Vietnam will take place at 11 pm on June 12 (UTC+7), also at Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Vietnam’s opponents will be Saudi Arabia, Japan, or UAE.
Malaysia coach Brad Maloney was disappointed with this defeat
“We started well. Even when we conceded the first goal from the 28th minute, the team still played well. But the penalty and loss of players in extra time harmed the psychology of Malaysia. That caused us to lose the game. I am very disappointed.” Coach Maloney said at the press conference after the game.
For dignity, please do not bring shame back home
Malaysian media before the match reported with the title “For dignity, please do not bring shame back home”: “Playing for honor is what Malaysia must do in the final match against Vietnam at Lokomotiv Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Haven’t won any points and are at the bottom of the group, Malaysia being eliminated with all-loss results is unacceptable.” However, Malaysia is still empty-handed at the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
VAR causes Thailand to be eliminated from the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Coach Hwang Sun-hong showed his determination to win when launching the best players, including La Liga midfielder Lee Kang-In. Meanwhile, Thailand, unfortunately, has a squad problem. According to the Football Association of Thailand, due to unfamiliarity with the weather in Uzbekistan, some Thai players fell ill.
This is a game where VAR is very important. Ko Jae-Hyeon defeated goalkeeper Lakhonphon, shaking the U23 Thai net. The assistant referee raised the flag for offside and the goal was disallowed. But then VAR intervened, changing the referee’s decision, and helping South Korea score the only goal of the match. That means U23 Thailand was eliminated in bitterness.
