Defeating the Korean Student Team, U23 Vietnam enters the final

U23 Vietnam entered the first semi-final match of BTV Cup 2013 with great determination and the efforts of the young players were rewarded with a 4-3 victory after a nerve-wracking penalty shootout against the Korean Student Team.

Facing a strong opponent, the Korean Student Team, U23 Vietnam entered the match with a 4-1-4-1 formation. Ha Minh Tuan was the only spearhead in the attack. The four players behind him, including Van Thang (right), Van Quyet (right), Phi Son and Vu Minh Tuan, formed a pair of central midfielders. Thanh Hien was trusted to play the role of "cleaning up" in front of the defensive quartet: Quang Hung (right), Ngoc Duc (left) and the central defenders Thanh Hao and Manh Hung. Nguyen Manh was the one guarding the goal.

Phi Son (white shirt) and his teammates have entered the final match - Photo: Anh Tai.

With this lineup, U23 Vietnam started quite smoothly, but it was not until the 29th minute that the students of interim coach Phung Thanh Phuong had a clear opportunity. From the right, Van Quyet passed the ball for Ha Minh Tuan to run down, but the striker's shot went straight to goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-Min.

In the 33rd minute, Phi Son dribbled the ball and passed it to Van Thang. Unfortunately, the midfielder from Thanh Hoa failed to finish. In the 41st minute, Phi Son dribbled the ball skillfully and then kicked the ball into the far corner, but goalkeeper Kim Kyeong-Min dived to save the goal.

In the second half, the Korean Student Team started the game with more enthusiasm. The team from the land of Kim Chi continuously attacked the goal, making goalkeeper Nguyen Manh work hard. One of them was a shot in the 65th minute, unfortunately for the Korean Student Team, the ball hit the post.

In the 68th minute, the Korean Student Team had to play with 10 men after Lee Tae-Hee received a second yellow card and had to leave the field, following a diving incident in the 16m50 box.

With one more player on the field than their opponents, U23 Vietnam pushed up their formation to play an attacking game. Until the extra minutes, the students of interim coach Phung Thanh Phuong played aggressively against the opponent but could not find a goal. The most regrettable thing was that the cross from the left wing was very favorable but Van Quyet was a beat too late to get in.

After a goalless draw after 90 minutes of play, both teams were forced to decide the winner on penalties. In the first two series, Nguyen Manh made excellent saves on the first two kicks, helping U23 gain the advantage and defeat the Korean Student Team with a score of 4-3.

With this victory, U23 Vietnam has won the right to play in the final match of BTV Cup 2013.

LINEUP OF U23 VIETNAM:

Nguyen Manh; Quang Hung, Thanh Hao, Manh Hung, Ngoc Duc, Thanh Hien, Van Thang, Phi Son, Vu Minh Tuan, Van Quyet, Ha Minh Tuan.

According to Bongdaplus