HAGL U21 suffered a defeat in their opening match at the international U21 tournament.

Unable to capitalize on opportunities, and with a leaky defense, the defending champions of the friendly tournament currently taking place in Ho Chi Minh City suffered a 0-1 defeat against South Korea U19 on the afternoon of November 20th.

Coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan's players started the match quite well, quickly regaining control of the game thanks to their technically skilled midfield.

There were a few scattered shots on goal from the HAGL players, but most of them were long-range attempts. The South Korean U19 team proved to be well-organized. They tightly marked the attacking players of HAGL U21 and took turns covering for their teammates in situations where Cong Phuong or Van Toan were dribbling the ball.

Despite having more possession, U21 HAGL (in white) were unable to break through the well-organized defense of U19 South Korea. Photo: Duc Dong.

In the 24th minute, while the defending champions were still struggling to find a way to score against the visiting team, South Korea U19 unexpectedly took the lead with a cleverly orchestrated attack. Taking advantage of Xuan Truong's lack of decisiveness in his tackle, captain Lee Dongjun comfortably dribbled the ball and made a clever through pass to Kim Jeonghwan, who raced down and fired a diagonal shot past goalkeeper Van Tien.

After conceding this goal, U21 HAGL were constantly under pressure from their opponents. Towards the end of the first half, the HAGL players finally managed to push forward. However, opportunities slipped through their fingers one after another. The most notable was Van Toan's lob over the crossbar in the 45th minute after receiving a beautiful pass from Xuan Truong.

In the second half, the South Korean U19 team maintained their defensive counter-attacking style of play. Meanwhile, Coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan's players continued to show their ineffectiveness. Even Coach Toshiya Miura, who was watching the match from the stands, expressed his disappointment with the lack of creativity from the HAGL U21 players. The Clear Men Cup International U21 Tournament is an opportunity for him to scout players for the U23 team to participate in the U23 Asian Championship finals in early 2016.

As the match drew to a close, the South Korean team's physical advantage became increasingly apparent. In the 84th minute, Choe Ikjin made a powerful run down the right wing and delivered a perfect cross to Kim Geon-Ung. Fortunately for U21 HAGL, the South Korean player's shot went over the crossbar. In the final minutes, the defending champions had a few chances, but their impatience led to their defeat against their South Korean opponents.

The lack of creativity in their play led to the defeat of the reigning U21 champions HAGL in their opening match of this year's international U21 tournament. Photo: Duc Dong.

In their next match, U21 HAGL will face their remaining opponent in Group B, U21 Myanmar. As for U19 South Korea, this victory opens their door to the semi-finals.

According to VNE