Vietnam U17 missed out on the World Cup after a dramatic last-minute draw against UAE U17.
Despite taking the lead against UAE U17, Vietnam U17 conceded an equalizer in the final minutes, preventing coach Cristiano's team from qualifying for the 2025 World Cup.
On the evening of April 10th, the Vietnam U17 team faced the UAE U17 team in the final match of Group B at the 2025 AFC U17 Championship. This was a crucial match for qualification, and a victory would secure the "Golden Star Warriors" a ticket to the 2025 World Cup. Meanwhile, in the other match played at the same time, the Japan U17 team met the Australia U17 team. Before this round of matches, the situation in Group B remained very tense, with opportunities evenly distributed among all four teams.
From the very beginning of the match, the Vietnam U17 team entered the game with determination and a proactive spirit. The players in red jerseys deployed a solid playing style, demonstrating a clear understanding of their opponent by playing with a "know yourself, know your enemy" mindset.
By the 7th minute, the UAE U17 team had adopted a defensive strategy with a low defensive line, demonstrating caution given the crucial nature of the match.
The Vietnam U17 team continued to exert pressure. In the 9th minute, from a corner kick, a player in a red shirt had a header, but it didn't pose much difficulty for the UAE goalkeeper.
By the 16th minute, the Vietnam U17 team intensified their pressure, pushing forward in an attempt to score an early goal. Their efforts were almost rewarded in the 21st minute when Viet Long made a skillful move on the right wing, creating opportunities for Nguyen Luc and then Duy Khang to shoot, but they were still unable to beat the UAE goalkeeper and defenders.
Finally, the turning point came in the 23rd minute. From an attack down the right wing, a cross from a teammate created an opportunity for Duy Khang to unleash a volley. The ball wasn't particularly dangerous, but goalkeeper Mohammed Nasser made a mistake, giving the Vietnam U17 team a 1-0 lead.
After conceding a goal, the UAE U17 team immediately pushed forward to increase pressure in an attempt to find an equalizer. However, the Vietnam U17 defense played with focus, holding firm until the end of the first half.
Entering the second half with a lead, the Vietnam U17 team proactively dropped deep, switching to a defensive counter-attacking strategy to maintain their advantage. Meanwhile, the UAE U17 team had few options other than pushing forward and increasing pressure to find an equalizer.
In the 51st minute, the UAE U17 team had a clear opportunity when striker Mayed Adel Khamis surged forward, beating center-back Le Huy Viet Anh and unleashing a powerful shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Hoa Xuan Tin made a full-stretch save, keeping a clean sheet for Vietnam U17.
In the 62nd minute, the U17 Vietnam goal was threatened once again. From a long pass over the defense, a UAE player surged down the left wing and crossed the ball into the box. Goalkeeper Xuan Tin failed to hold onto the ball, creating an opportunity for the opposing striker to take a follow-up shot. Fortunately, the final shot went just wide of the goal. As the match drew to a close, U17 Vietnam played with a low defensive line, prioritizing safety, while UAE increased the tempo of their attack in an attempt to find an equalizer.
The UAE U17 team pushed their entire formation into Vietnam U17's half. Crosses were constantly being sent into the penalty area, targeting Suhail Al Suwadi and Salem Esam – their two best aerial attackers. However, the Vietnam U17 defense remained highly focused, repeatedly neutralizing the aerial attacks.
In the 87th minute, from a free kick on the right wing, UAE launched a dangerous attacking move. The ball was crossed into the U17 Vietnam penalty area, and striker Adetiba made a very clever cross. Hazaa Faisal, the UAE striker, was in the right place and with just a gentle touch, put the ball into the net, beating goalkeeper Xuan Tin.
The 1-1 score remained until the end of the match, and with this result, the Vietnam U17 team missed out on a ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025, despite coach Cristiano's team having a commendable and hard-fought journey at the 2025 AFC U17 Championship Finals.
