Statistics show that Japan's national team did not win convincingly against Vietnam.

The performance of Cong Phuong and his teammates against Japan was highly appreciated. Photo:Duc Dong

"Hajime Moriyasu's players struggled in the first half. They improved their play in the second half. Vietnam had chances to equalise, but the Japanese defence stood firm. Fans may not be happy with their style, but as they say, attack wins you games and defence wins you titles. Japan are just two steps away from a title in the UAE."

VAR technology left a big mark when it was first applied at this year's Asian Cup. It caused the referee to disallow Maya Yoshida's goal but awarded a penalty for Ritsu Doan to seal the victory for Japan.

"Height was an advantage for Japan when facing Vietnam. They took advantage of that when Gaku Shibasaki's corner was converted by captain Yoshida into a goal. The Vietnamese coaching staff was angry at the silly goal, and the Japanese star started to celebrate. But he had not scored yet. VAR was used for the first time and after reviewing the video, the referee disallowed the goal because Yoshida handled the ball when finishing,"Fox Sportsthink VAR saved Vietnam in this phase.

However, VAR also went against Vietnam in the situation where they were awarded a penalty. "In the 53rd minute, Bui Tien Dung knocked down Ritsu Doan. The referee waved his hand when the Japanese player asked for a penalty. But this time VAR went against Vietnam. After reviewing the video, referee Mohammed Abdulla Hassan blew the penalty for the Vietnamese defender. And after three minutes, the match was brought back to that situation. Doan stepped up to take the penalty. Vietnamese goalkeeper Dang Van Lam dived very well and almost touched the ball with his hand but could not block it. Despite playing hard, Vietnam was down by one goal,"Fox Sportscomment.

Vietnam is the team with the youngest average age and is considered to have a resilient playing style at the Asian Cup. Photo:Duc Dong

Besides the controversy over VAR,Fox Sportsimpressed with Vietnam's entry into the game. The newspaper wrote: "The Southeast Asian champions gave Japan some heart-stopping moments. Nguyen Cong Phuong started it with a dribble that forced Southampton defender Yoshida to clear the ball for a corner. Vietnam also defended well as they closed down Japan's space and were ready to counterattack quickly."

Although the fairy tale has ended for Park Hang-seo and his team,Fox Sportsbelieves that successive successes are the premise to open up a bright future for Vietnamese football.

"With their young age, a bright future awaits this generation of Vietnamese players. If Park Hang-seo continues to create miracles with this generation of players, they will be recognized as a force in Asia in the next decade. Vietnam has made Southeast Asia proud," the newspaper wrote.