Vietnam's Olympic team narrowly defeated Bahrain, reaching the Asiad quarterfinals for the first time.
(Baonghean.vn) - Against a courageous and well-organized Bahrain team, after a series of substitutions and opportunities, Cong Phuong's single goal helped Vietnamese football reach the quarter-finals of the men's football tournament at the Asian Games for the first time.
Coach Park Hang Seo surprised everyone by using a 4-3-3 formation after Hung Dung and Dinh Trong were unavailable due to injury. This tactical formation was used for the first time at the 2018 Asian Games.
The Vietnamese Olympic team didn't play particularly well, and their chances were far from clear-cut. Conversely, in the 38th minute, the ball went into Bui Tien Dung's net after a shot by player B. Ahmed, but the goal was disallowed because the referee had already raised the flag for offside.
In the 42nd minute, with Olympic Bahrain reduced to 10 men, Sanad Ahmed received a direct red card from the referee after a reckless tackle on Vu Van Thanh. The studs of the number 9 player's boot landed directly on the ankle of the Vietnamese Olympic winger.
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| Bui Tien Dung's save. Photo: Duc Dong |
Despite having a numerical advantage, the Vietnamese Olympic team couldn't capitalize and ended the first half without scoring. Statistics show that in the first 45 minutes, Vietnam's attack only managed 1/6 of their shots on target, while Bahrain had 2/5. Coach Park Hang Seo's team also only had 45% possession.
In the second half, the Vietnamese Olympic team switched to a 4-4-2 formation to take advantage of their numerical superiority, with Duc Huy and Xuan Truong playing as central midfielders and Quang Hai moving to the wing. However, the Bahrain Olympic team still showed their dangerous potential.
From the 70th minute onwards, Ha Duc Chinh had a header that curled towards the far corner, but it wasn't dangerous enough to beat goalkeeper Ammar. A few minutes later, Cong Phuong dribbled past a defender before unleashing a curling shot, but the ball lacked power.
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| Cong Phuong scores to relieve the pressure. Photo: Nguyen Khanh |
Duc Chinh made another header after Van Thanh's cross, but the Da Nang FC player still couldn't score. In the 74th minute, Phan Van Duc rushed in to score after goalkeeper Ammar's diving save, but the goal still eluded the Vietnamese Olympic team. After this incident, he left the field, making way for Van Toan.
The only highlight of the match came in the 88th minute. A well-organized attack down the right wing saw the Bahrain defender set up Cong Phuong's shot that found the back of the net, giving Vietnam a 1-0 lead.
This golden goal secured the overall victory for the Vietnamese Olympic team, allowing them to qualify for the Asiad quarterfinals for the first time. Previously, in 2010, Vietnam lost to North Korea, and in 2014, they lost to the UAE, also being eliminated in the second round. On August 27th, Vietnam's opponent will be Syria in the quarterfinal match.
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| Match statistics |
Statistics for the 90 minutes show that the Vietnamese Olympic team had 4 out of 14 shots on target, while Bahrain had 3 out of 9 shots on target. Coach Park Hang Seo's team had a 49% possession rate, concluding an extremely difficult and somewhat fortunate match for the Vietnamese Olympic team. After 4 matches, the Vietnamese Olympic team and goalkeeper Tien Dung have yet to concede a single goal.
STARTING LINEUP
Vietnam Olympic team: Tien Dung, Duy Manh, Tien Dung, Van Hau, Van Thanh, Quang Hai, Xuan Truong, Duc Huy, Van Quyet, Anh Duc, Van Duc.
Bahrain Olympics: Ahmed Ammar, Bughammar Ahmed, Sabba Husain, Alshamsan Hamad, Alkarrani Hasan, Marhoon Mohammed, Sannad Ahmed, Hardan Mohammed, Alsalama Hasim, Ahmedi Abdulrahman, Hashim Hashim.