Vietnam team lost the opening match of the Asian Cup qualifiers

Van Toan scored the opening goal but coach Nguyen Huu Thang's team could not hold on and had to accept a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan in the match on the evening of March 28.

Coach Huu Thang's substitution was a notable point in the match between Vietnam and Afghanistan on a neutral field in Tajikistan. He sent Van Toan onto the field from the bench and just seven minutes later the HAGL player opened the score. However, a few minutes later, the Nghe An strategist was slow to replace injured center-back Tien Dung who was on the sidelines, forcing Vietnam to play with one less player and immediately being tied 1-1 by Afghanistan.

Vietnam missed the chance to beat Afghanistan.

In this match, the Vietnamese team continued to stick to the short passing style, coordinating in groups within a narrow area. This choice helped coach Huu Thang's team control the game well but did not create many good opportunities in the first 45 minutes. The reason was because the passing speed of the white-shirted players was not fast enough to surprise the Afghan defense, who actively played close and kept very good positions.

It wasn’t until the first half’s injury time that Vietnam had their first significant chance. After Cong Phuong was fouled outside the box, Thanh Trung unleashed a dangerous free kick that sent the ball into the far corner. However, goalkeeper Ovays Azizi was able to punch the ball away for Afghanistan.

The Vietnamese team's attacking ability only improved when Van Toan came on to replace Minh Tuan, a player who showed signs of being overloaded after having to play both the V-League and AFC Cup for Quang Ninh Club. In the 61st minute, the player who inherited the number 9 shirt from Cong Vinh passed Sharif Muhammad and passed to Cong Phuong. However, in a comfortable position,HAGL striker hascould not beat goalkeeper Ovays Azizi.

Cong Phuong missed the chance to score but just three minutes later he made a big contribution to help the Vietnamese team open the score. The Nghe An player's tricky free kick made it impossible for the Afghan goalkeeper to catch it. The ball found Van Toan's position, and in an unmarked position, he headed the ball into the empty net to score.

A point was a fair result in this match.

However, the joy of the Vietnamese team leading the score only lasted six minutes. Coach Huu Thang's students forgot to mark captain Hasan Amin, allowing this player to freely run up and score a one-touch equalizer after Van Quyet headed away the opponent's corner kick.In this situation, the Vietnamese team only had 10 players on the field. Center back Tien Dung was injured two minutes before, but coach Huu Thang had no immediate replacement plan, leaving the home team to play with one less player.

In the final qualifying round of the 2019 Asian Cup, Vietnam is in Group C. The next match for coach Huu Thang and his team will be against Jordan at home on June 13.

According to VNE