Vietnam qualify for 2016 AFC U-19 finals

Vietnam made it through to the finals of the 2016 AFC U-19 Championship after narrowly beating Myanmar 1-0 in their last Group G qualifying match at Thuwunna Stadium in Myanmar’s capital city Yangon on October 6.

Vietnam made their determination for a victory clear from the start with waves of attacks.

 

Their constant efforts paid off with an early opener after 19 minutes of play. Duy Khanh chipped a delightful pass to Duc Chinh, who then fired a shot cunning enough to beat Myanmar goalkeeper Thitsar Min.

 

Myanmar intensified their offence seeking to equalize the score but still could not find a way past Vietnam’s solid defence.

 

The second-half was nearly the same as the first 45 minutes, with the host team playing offensively and the guests strengthening the defensive line and waiting for counterattack opportunities.

 

The biggest highlight of the second part was Vietnam’s waste of a clear opportunity to double the advantage as Trong Dai failed to convert a 51st-minute penalty into a goal.

 

The victory helped U-19 Vietnam wrap up their Group G qualifying campaign with a four-match winning streak. The top position, as well as the finals ticket, were worthy rewards for the unceasing efforts made by Coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his players.

 

Other finalists include nine group winners - Uzbekistan (Group A), Saudi Arabia (Group B), the United Arab Emirates (Group C), Qatar (Group D), Iran (Group E), Iraq (Group F), the Republic of Korea (Group H), China (Group I) and Japan (Group J) - and five best second-place teams - Yemen, Tajikistan, Thailand, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Australia.

 

The 2016 AFC U-19 Championship finals is scheduled to be held in Bahrain from October 13 to 30, 2016. The four semifinalists of the tournament will qualify for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Republic of Korea (RoK). As the RoK have already qualified automatically as hosts, the fifth-place team also qualify if RoK finish in the top four.

 

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)