Dramatic draw with UAE U17 in the last minute, Vietnam U17 misses World Cup

On the evening of April 10, the U17 Vietnam team will face U17 UAE, in the final match of Group B of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship. This is a decisive match for the ticket to the next round, and if they win, the "golden star warriors" will win a ticket to the 2025 World Cup. Meanwhile, in the match at the same time, the U17 Japan team will meet U17 Australia. Before this match, the situation in Group B is still very tense with opportunities divided equally among all four teams.

Right from the start of the match, U17 Vietnam entered the game with determination and initiative. The red-shirted players deployed a solid playing style, showing their understanding of their opponents when playing with the mindset of "knowing yourself and knowing your opponent".

In the 7th minute, the UAE U17 team proactively played defensively with a low formation, showing caution in the context of a match of vital importance.

The U17 Vietnam team continued to put pressure on. In the 9th minute, from a corner kick, the player in red headed the ball but did not cause much trouble for the UAE goalkeeper.

In the 16th minute, U17 Vietnam increased the pressure, pushing up the formation to find an early goal. Their efforts were almost rewarded in the 21st minute when Viet Long skillfully handled the ball on the right wing, creating opportunities for Nguyen Luc and Duy Khang to finish, but they still could not defeat the UAE goalkeeper and defender.

Finally, the turning point came in the 23rd minute, from a move up the right wing, a cross from a teammate created an opportunity for Duy Khang to rush in and volley. The ball was not too dangerous but goalkeeper Mohammed Nasser caught the ball wrongly, helping the U17 Vietnam team take a 1-0 lead.

After conceding the goal, U17 UAE immediately pushed up their formation to increase pressure in search of an equalizer. However, U17 Vietnam's defense played with concentration, maintaining the game until the end of the first half.

Entering the second half with the advantage of leading, the U17 Vietnam team proactively retreated deep, switching to a defensive counter-attacking formation to maintain the gap. Meanwhile, the U17 UAE team had no choice but to push up their formation, increasing the pressure to find an equalizer.

In the 51st minute, U17 UAE had a clear chance when striker Mayed Adel Khamis bravely swept past defender Le Huy Viet Anh and fired a powerful shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Hoa Xuan Tin jumped as far as he could to block the shot, keeping the net for U17 Vietnam.

In the 62nd minute, the U17 Vietnam goal was shaken once again. From a long pass over the line, the UAE player rushed down the left wing and crossed the ball inside. Goalkeeper Xuan Tin failed to catch the ball, creating an opportunity for the opposing team's striker to finish. Fortunately, the final shot went just wide of the goal. As the match progressed, the U17 Vietnam team played with a low formation, emphasizing safety, while the UAE increased the attack tempo in search of an equalizer.

UAE U17 put the entire squad on the Vietnam U17 field. Crosses were continuously poured into the penalty area, aimed at Suhail Al Suwadi and Salem Esam - their two best strikers in the air. However, Vietnam U17's defense still played with great concentration, continuously clearing the aerial battles.

In the 87th minute, from a free kick on the right wing, UAE had a dangerous combination. The ball was poured into the U17 Vietnam penalty area, and striker Adetiba made a very smart cross into the box. Hazaa Faisal, the UAE striker, was in the right place and with just a light touch, he put the ball into the net, defeating goalkeeper Xuan Tin.

The score of 1-1 was maintained until the end of the match, and with this result, U17 Vietnam missed out on a ticket to the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup, even though coach Cristiano and his team had a proud and trying journey at the 2025 AFC U17 Finals./.

Hai Hoang