Vietnam wins first match at 2018 Asian futsal tournament
Vietnam defeated Bahrain 2-1 to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the tournament where they reached the semi-finals and won a ticket to the World Cup two years ago.
After losing to Malaysia1-2 In the opening match of Group A, the Vietnamese team faced the task of winning the match on the afternoon of February 3. As for Bahrain, they got one point after drawing 2-2 with host Taiwan.
The pressure to win, combined with the opponent's defensive play, caused coach Rodrigo's players to enter the game somewhat deadlocked. However, Vietnam's efforts to press the ball were rewarded with a goal in the 18th minute by Nguyen Dac Huy.
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Vietnam Futsal team (in white) had a brave match against Bahrain. Photo:AFC. |
That goal set the tone for the dramatic events in the remaining two minutes of the first half. Immediately after conceding the goal, Bahrain had a clear chance to equalize. Malsandi fired a diagonal shot past goalkeeper Dinh Thuan. The ball hit the two posts but did not go into the net, before being caught by Dinh Thuan.
Bahrain players and coaching staff believed they had equalised in that situation. The referee did not recognise the goal, although slow-motion replays on television showed the ball had crossed the goal line.Luckily escaping defeat, the Vietnamese team raised the score to 2-0 almost immediately. The scorer was Phung Trong Luan, after a close-range shot.
Vietnam 2-1 Bahrain
In the second half, luck was no longer on Vietnam's side. Bahrain reduced the score to 1-2 in the 29th minute. Malsandi's shot hit the white-shirted defender's foot and changed direction, flying straight into the net. Vietnam had a chance to widen the gap once more, but Duc Hoa could not beat goalkeeper Abbas in the penalty kick in the 35th minute. After that, coach Rodrigo and his team were under great pressure when the opponent changed goalkeepers and played power-play.
The brave defense finally helped Vietnam secure a 2-1 victory. With this result, Vietnam has the first three points, still having a chance to enter the quarterfinals. In the final match, coach Rodrigo and his team will meet host Taiwan. The match will take place at 6pm on February 5.
The 2018 AFC Futsal Championship has 16 participating teams, divided into four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. Two years ago, Vietnam was the biggest surprise of the tournament, eliminating the defending champions, Japan, in the quarter-finals to become one of four teams to qualify for the 2016 Futsal World Cup.
