U19 Vietnam vs U19 Japan (0-1): Another missed appointment

Learning from the two defeats against Japan, Coach Graechen asked his players to play with a calculated game plan when the two teams met in the final match of the U19 Southeast Asia. After the first minutes of rushing forward and launching preemptive attacks, U19 Vietnam gradually slowed down the pace of the match and deployed a lurking style of play. Cong Phuong and his teammates played solidly on their home field and waited for the opponent to make a mistake to attack.

Meanwhile, Japan U19 understood our players so well that they did not rush to attack even though they were rated higher in every aspect. Coach Masakazu's team also prioritized defense and only launched counterattacks whenever Vietnam U19 defenders left space. With the extremely tight and calculating game of the two teams, very few opportunities were created. The most notable situation in the first half was Shato's shot outside the penalty area being pushed out by goalkeeper Van Truong.

The disciplined play and the tightness of the Japanese defenders made it difficult for the strikers of U19 Vietnam.

In the second half, the game became more open, with the game leaning towards U19 Vietnam. Within 10 minutes, from 47 to 57, Coach Graechen's students created 3 dangerous situations towards Kousuke's goal. However, in the decisive situations, Cong Phuong and Van Toan could not defeat the extremely well-protected defense of U19 Japan.

In the following minutes, U19 Japan regained control of the game and continuously launched direct attacks towards U19 Vietnam's goal. In the 75th minute, Yamato's pass created an opportunity for substitute player Genta to rush down before launching a diagonal shot that defeated goalkeeper Van Truong, breaking the deadlock of the match.

Japan U19 scored the opening goal.

Not willing to let their opponents win the championship, U19 Vietnam poured forward to attack for the rest of the match. However, facing a superior and highly experienced opponent like U19 Japan, Coach Graechen's team was completely helpless in finding an equalizer, thereby accepting to leave the field with a final defeat of 0-1.

This is the third consecutive time that U19 Vietnam has reached the final and has lost regrettably. Previously, in the final match of U19 Southeast Asia 2013, coach Graechen's team lost to Indonesia with a score of 6-7 on penalty kicks (the two regular periods ended 0-0). At the U22 Southeast Asia tournament in Brunei, U19 Vietnam lost to U19 Myanmar with a score of 3-4.

Although they have not been able to win the championship, U19 Vietnam has shown remarkable progress compared to nearly a year ago. Coach Graechen's students played more confidently, beautifully and with more courage. Therefore, U19 Vietnam still won the hearts of fans after the third consecutive defeat against the Japanese.