U21 HAGL failed in the opening match of the U21 International Tournament

Unable to fully capitalize on opportunities, while the defense played loosely, the defending champion of the friendly tournament taking place in Ho Chi Minh City lost 0-1 to U19 Korea on the afternoon of November 20.

Coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan's students entered the game quite well, quickly showing their ability to control the match thanks to a technically skilled midfield.

There were a few shots from the players from the mountain town, but they were mostly long-range shots. The U19 Korean team proved to be a well-organized team. They tightly controlled the strikers of the U21 HAGL attack and took turns covering for their teammates when Cong Phuong or Van Toan dribbled the ball.

Controlling the ball more, U21 HAGL (white shirt) could not penetrate the well-organized defense of U19 Korea. Photo: Duc Dong.

In the 24th minute, when the defending champions were still struggling to find a way into the visitors' goal, U19 Korea unexpectedly opened the scoring from a clever attack. Taking advantage of Xuan Truong's lack of determination in the tackle, captain Lee Dongjun leisurely dribbled the ball and then cleverly passed the ball to Kim Jeonghwan, who ran down and shot diagonally past goalkeeper Van Tien.

After this goal, U21 HAGL continuously let their opponents put pressure on them. At the end of the first half, the players from the mountain town were able to push forward. However, opportunities kept slipping past them. Most notably, Van Toan's volley went over the bar in the 45th minute when he received a beautiful pass from Xuan Truong.

In the second half, U19 Korea maintained their defensive counter-attacking style of play. Meanwhile, Coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan's players continued to show signs of stagnation. Even Coach Toshiya Miura, who watched the match from the stands, was frustrated with the lack of innovation from the U21 HAGL players. The U21 International Tournament - Clear Men Cup is an opportunity for him to recruit players for the U23 team to compete in the U23 Asian Cup finals in early 2016.

As the match progressed, the physical advantage of the Korean team became more evident. In the 84th minute, Choe Ikjin charged down the right wing and crossed the ball to Kim Geon-Ung. Fortunately for U21 HAGL, the Korean player shot over the bar in this favorable situation. In the final minutes of the match, the defending champions had a few chances but their impatience forced them to give up against their opponents from Korea.

Lack of innovation in playing style caused the defending U21 champion HAGL to lose in the opening match of this year's international U21 tournament. Photo: Duc Dong.

In the next match, U21 HAGL will meet the remaining opponent of Group B, U21 Myanmar. As for U19 Korea, this victory helps them open the door to the semi-finals.

According to VNE