Vietnam U16 entered the final of the Southeast Asian U16 Championship

Striker Khac Khiem scored the only goal to help U16 Vietnam defeat host team U16 Cambodia with a score of 1-0 in the semi-finals.

Vietnam U16 continues to fly high at the Southeast Asian U16 Championship. Photo: Duc Dong.

Khac Khiem's ​​goal was scored in the 28th minute after a chaotic situation in the 16m50 box. This is also the fifth goal of the U16 Vietnam striker since the beginning of the tournament.

The narrow victory over U16 Cambodia helped U16 Vietnam advance to the final match. Coach Dinh The Nam and his team will face U16 Australia. In the previous semi-final, U16 Australia defeated U16 Thailand on penalties after a 3-3 draw in 90 minutes.

Vietnam U16 met Australia U16 in the group stage and won 3-0.

Although Cambodia U16 lost the match, they still showed remarkable progress after being invested systematically in recent times. The home team had very dangerous opportunities, but only the excellence of goalkeeper Huu Tuan helped Vietnam U16 avoid conceding a goal.

This was the fifth win for U16 Vietnam in this year's tournament, including four clean sheets. Despite some poor defensive situations, U16 Vietnam was the dominant team and had a clear style of play. Small combinations in the middle of the field and passes down the flank and back to the second line were executed skillfully.

Standing out among the U16 Vietnam players is midfielder Huu Thang. Although small in stature, the player possesses good technique and dangerous breakthroughs that helped U16 Vietnam unlock the crowded defense of the home team many times. Besides Huu Thang, striker Khac Khiem also directly threatened the goal of U16 Cambodia. Khac Khiem was the player with the most opportunities in the match, many of which he created for himself with individual finishing moves.

U16 Vietnam does not have outstanding stars like their seniors but possesses a modern playing style. Photo: Duc Dong.

Khac Khiem's ​​goal was the turning point for U16 Vietnam to change their playing style. Coach Dinh The Nam proactively let his players play solidly in their home field, preserving their advantage before attacking. This gave U16 Cambodia a chance to rise strongly, especially in the second half. The home team played counter-attacks and tried to quickly pass the ball to the two strikers up front. However, U16 Cambodia was not successful even though there were some mistakes by the red shirt defenders.

In the second half, U16 Vietnam could have increased the gap but luck turned away. Midfielder Tran Van Dat hit the crossbar after a beautiful combination and Khac Khiem could not beat the opposing goalkeeper in a face-off at a tight angle.

Meeting U16 Australia again, coach Dinh The Nam and his team have the mental motivation from the group stage victory. However, this is also a big pressure for U16 Vietnam. The final match will take place at 6:30 p.m. on July 23.

According to VNE