5 highlights of the Vietnam - Japan match

Here are 5 notable points of the match as given by Fox Sport Asia:

1.The first half was full of courage of Vietnam National Team.

The four-time Asian champions are rated much higher than the Southeast Asian champions Vietnam. But Mr. Park Hang-seo has proven that his players are ready to compete fairly and confidently against all opponents in this year's tournament, including top teams like Japan.

The Southeast Asian team really made the Japanese players work hard in the first 45 minutes of the quarter-final match. Especially Nguyen Cong Phuong's skillful dribbling and finishing made the Japanese defense falter. The Vietnamese defense also played very organized, covering tightly, making the Japanese team's attack plans completely deadlocked in the entire first half.

Van Lam had an excellent match.

We also cannot fail to mention goalkeeper Dang Van Lam. He had an excellent match when he successfully blocked many shots from Japanese players. Especially the moment when Van Lam raised his arm to successfully block a very fast shot from the Japanese striker in the first half.

2. VAR saved Vietnam from a loss

The Japanese team, with better physical condition, used many high balls towards Van Lam's goal. In a corner kick situation in the second half, captain Yoshida jumped to receive a cross from teammate Gaku Shibasaki and headed the ball into Van Lam's net. It was thought that it would be a valid goal for the Japanese team. However, the signal from the Video room forced the main referee to stop the match. After reviewing the situation, he decided to deny Yoshida's goal because he thought the ball had touched this player's hand before flying into Van Lam's net.

3. It was also VAR that brought Japan a goal.

In the 53rd minute, in a defensive situation, Bui Tien Dung made a tackle that caused the Japanese striker to fall in the penalty area. The Japanese players reacted because they thought that Tien Dung had fouled their striker. The referee refused the Japanese players' request and allowed the match to continue.

Var becomes the main character of the match between Vietnam and Japan

However, once again, Var spoke up. After reviewing the slow-motion replay, referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan awarded the Japanese players a penalty. It is worth mentioning that after more than 3 minutes, since the incident of Tien Dung's tackle, the Var signal was sent to the referee.

Van Lam tried his best but still could not block Doan Ritsu's penalty kick. The Japanese team finally got a goal after many efforts.

4.Japan reach semi-finals in pragmatic style

Japan controlled the ball up to 68.2% compared to 31.8% of Vietnam. However, the East Asian team only created 11 chances in front of Van Lam's goal compared to 12 times of the Vietnam team. Once again, Mr. Hajime Moriyasu showed his pragmatism in this tournament. They had a very difficult first half against Vietnam and were lucky to score in the second half.

Japan again shows pragmatism in playing style

Japan will face the winner of the China-Iran match in the semi-finals. Japanese fans are not happy with the way their team is playing. However, what the Japanese players are doing shows that they are indeed the toughest team to beat in this year's tournament.

5.Bright future for Vietnam national football team

The Vietnam national football team had a match that made the Japanese candidate have to work hard to win. The fairy tale of Vietnamese football officially ended at the 2019 Asian Cup. In the recent short time, the Vietnam national football team has achieved many great achievements. From winning second place in the U23 Asian Cup, fourth place in the 2018 Asian Games, winning the 2018 AFF Cup and now entering the top 8 teams of the Asian tournament.

It is time for Vietnamese football to confidently move forward. If Mr. Park Hang-seo continues to be the head coach for this young generation of players, they will be a tough opponent in Asia in the next 10 years. Truly, Vietnamese football has made the whole of Southeast Asia proud.