Vietnam Olympic team is temporarily leading Macau Olympic team 6-0.
>> 5 spots for second-place finish in U23 qualifiers: Vietnam rises to 6th place
Thanh Bình and Ngọc Thắng gave Vietnam an incredibly favorable start by scoring consecutive goals within the first five minutes.
7'
The match was postponed when the referee decided to let both teams leave the field due to heavy rain in Shah Alam.
5'
Thanh Bình increased the score to 2-0.Cong Phuong made a perfect back pass to Thanh Binh, who unleashed a powerful shot from inside the penalty area to double the lead.
3'
The score is 1-0 in favor of Vietnam.Ngoc Thang raced down to receive a header pass from his teammate and finished into the far corner, beating the Macau goalkeeper.
Ngoc Thang's early goal was an extremely favorable start for Vietnam.
The weather is not cooperating with thunder and dark clouds. The Shah Alam stadium organizers have had to turn on floodlights to serve both teams.
1'
The match has begun.Olympic Macau kicks off in the first half.
The starting lineup for the Vietnamese Olympic team featured an attacking 3-4-3 formation.
Thirty minutes before kick-off, Vietnamese fans began entering the stadium, carrying banners to support their team. Photo: Duc Dong.
The referees also warmed up to prepare for the 90 minutes of duty. Photo: Duc Dong.
TUAN ANH CANNOT PLAY TODAY
The star midfielder of HAGL FC will be unable to participate in today's match between the Vietnam Olympic team and the Macau Olympic team. According to VnExpress, Tuan Anh suffered a hamstring injury. The player wearing jersey number 8 was not even included in the squad list registered by coach Toshiya Miura for the match.
With Tuan Anh (left) and Huy Toan (center) sidelined due to injury, the Vietnamese Olympic team has lost two important attacking options from the midfield. Photo: Duc Dong.
In the match against the Japanese Olympic team on March 29th, coach Miura kept Tuan Anh on the bench for the entire game, aiming to help him return in the best possible condition for today's match. He had hoped that the midfielder's attacking runs and long-range shots would provide a powerful punch from midfield, as the Vietnamese Olympic team needed to score as many goals as possible to compete on goal difference with other second-placed teams.
Therefore, Tuan Anh's absence is a major setback for the Vietnamese Olympic team.
The survey results (as of 3 PM today, March 31st) show that VnExpress readers are optimistic about the possibility of Coach Miura's team advancing to the final round of the U23 Asian Championship in Qatar next year.
Starting lineup:
Vietnam Olympic team: Minh Long (goalkeeper), Mạnh Hùng, Ngọc Hải (captain), Tiến Dũng, Hữu Dũng, Duy Mạnh, Ngọc Thắng, Đức Huy, Công Phượng, Thanh Bình, Văn Toàn.
Macau Olympics:Ho Man Fai (goalkeeper), Kam Chi Hou, Chan Man, Lo Kuan Io, I Chan, Tang Hou Fai, Ho Ka Seng, Lam Ka Seng, Ho Chi Fong, Iong Oi Chit, Pang Chi Hang (captain).
The Vietnamese Olympic team players warmed up in high spirits. Photo: Duc Dong.
The Macau Olympic team has already been eliminated, and they enter this afternoon's match as a formality in a relaxed mood. Yesterday afternoon, instead of training, the entire Macau Olympic team was given time off to go shopping. Photo: Duc Dong.
"You need to forget about the defeat against the Japanese Olympic team; there's nothing left to regret. Our goal is the match against the Macau Olympic team. I want to see you play a beautiful and effective game," Coach Miura instructed and boosted the morale of the players before yesterday's training session, March 30th.
"We can't underestimate Macau; they're not easy to bully," Miura commented on the opponent. "Our goal is to compete for a spot among the five best-performing second-placed teams. Therefore, we have to try our best, score many goals, and wait."
Meanwhile, Macau coach Tam Iao San appeared quite relaxed ahead of the final match. The coach said: "My players have had little time to play together, we came here with the goal of learning and trying to play well in each game."
Macau was already eliminated after two losses, so they weren't well-prepared for this match. Yesterday, while the Vietnamese Olympic team was diligently training, the Macau players were given time off to go shopping. However, the Macau players shouldn't be underestimated, as they showed dangerous counter-attacks in the match against Macau. Their relaxed mindset could also be a dangerous weapon for Coach Tam Iao San's players.
The Vietnamese Olympic team arrived at the stadium early. The whole team was very optimistic and relaxed, waiting to enter the final match in Group I of the U23 Asian Championship qualifiers. Photo: Duc Dong.
Vietnamese fans arrived at Shah Alam Stadium earliest this afternoon. Photo: Duc Dong.
| Team | Match | Win | Peace | Lose | Goal | Conceded goal | Difference | Point |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Vietnam | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Macau | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | -9 | 0 |
Second place is within reach for Coach Miura's team if they defeat Olympic Macau in their final match on March 31st. But to qualify for the U23 Asian Championship finals in Qatar next year,The Vietnamese Olympic team needs to be among the top five teams out of the ten second-placed teams in their group..
Looking at the current comparison table between the second-placed teams,The Vietnamese Olympic team is currently ranked last, ninth out of nine teams.(Group B has not played any matches yet). Coach Miura's team currently has three points after two matches, behind all the teams: Oman (7 points), Saudi Arabia (7), Yemen (6), Uzbekistan (6), Myanmar (6), Thailand (6), Indonesia (6), Laos (4).
According to VNE
