Vietnam eliminated in the semi-finals of the U19 Asian Championship.

Facing a much stronger opponent in the U19 Japanese team, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team suffered a 0-3 defeat on the evening of October 27th.

Both Vietnam and Japan entered the semi-finals with their own excitement. While Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team was thrilled to have secured a ticket to the 2017 U20 World Cup, their opponents also yearned to change history. Japan had reached the semi-finals 14 times and the final six times, but had yet to win the U19 Asian Championship.

However, the initial excitement quickly faded for the Vietnamese players, replaced by mistakes, fatigue, and tension that lasted throughout the match. In the 6th minute, their net was breached after a close-range shot with the outside of their right foot by Kishimoto Takeru. In this situation, the Vietnamese defense played loosely, allowing two Japanese players – including Takeru – to comfortably score the opening goal.

Defensive errors continued to recur. In the 10th minute, Tien Dung dived to push away a free kick, the ball rebounded and was passed to Shunta Nakamura who finished to double the lead. The red-shirted defenders were once again slow, allowing the opponent to comfortably combine and score.

An early goal made things easier for Japan. Photo: AFC.

Two early goals left Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's players in disarray. They were accustomed to playing defensive counter-attacking football and couldn't switch to an open, attacking style. This, if not handled carefully, could easily lead to a complete collapse. The absence of key striker Ha Duc Chinh due to suspension also contributed to the lack of dynamism in Vietnam's attacks. As a result, they failed to register a single shot on goal in the remainder of the first half.

Conversely, Japan played comfortably, despite not fielding their strongest lineup. If it weren't for Tien Dung's outstanding performance, Vietnam's net would have been breached several more times. In the 24th minute, the goalkeeper from Thanh Hoa province made a timely save to block Kishimoto's left-footed shot. Four minutes later, he correctly anticipated and saved Hatsuse's penalty kick. In the 35th minute, Hatsuse once again tested Tien Dung with a dangerous free-kick.

Japan (in white) were superior in terms of playing style and class. Photo: AFC.

After the break, Vietnam showed signs of improvement. They had a few coherent attacks and managed to get close to Japan's goal. But that only lasted a few minutes, then things went back to how they were. In the 51st minute, Tan Sinh's clearance deflected off Nakamura's foot and into the net, giving Japan a 3-0 lead. Such a lead was enough to make the Japanese team play more cautiously. But even so, they forced goalkeeper Tien Dung to make several saves, while his teammates further up the field still couldn't create any opportunities.

Despite being eliminated in the semi-finals, Coach Hoang Anh Tuan's team has every right to be proud of their performance in this tournament, having achieved something unprecedented for Vietnamese football: securing a ticket to the U20 World Cup next year in South Korea. Meanwhile, Japan advanced to the final to face Saudi Arabia.

According to VNE