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Despite loss, Vietnam awaits U23 team as national heroes
Ngoc Thuy 19:39, 2018/01/27
Uzbekistan defeated Vietnam with substitute Andrey Sidorov scoring the decisive goal in the final minute of the extra time to become the champions of the AFC U23 Championship 2018.
The game looked destined to go into another penalty shootout before Sidorov successfully converted a corner with his first touch of the game at the 120th minute, after the regular time ended in 1-1.
 
Despite being beaten in the final, Vietnam can still hold their heads high returning home.
In heavy snowy conditions at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center, it was the Uzbek team that got off to a dream start, when Rustamjon Ashurmatov stooped low to meet DostonbekKhamdamov’s corner with an emphatic header in the 8th minute. 

Vietnam, however, continued in high spirits and Nguyen Quang Hai equalized four minutes before the halftime with a sublime freekick from the edge of the box. 

After a delayed restart to allow a layer of snow to be removed from the pitch, Uzbekistan once again seized the momentum with Javokhir Sidikov forcing Tien Dung into a smart save in the 54th minute, before Zabikhillo Urinboev wasted a great chance with the ball blazing just over the post from the rebound from six yards out.

Moments later, Tien Dung, the hero of Vietnam’s semi-finals win against Iraq, reacted well to deny Sidikov from six yards, before the Uzbek captain Zabikhillo Urinboev fizzed a shot wide of the left-hand corner at 70 minutes. 

In the last meaningful action of normal time, Urinboev could, and very possibly should, have won the match for the Central Asians, but the striker inexplicably lashed the ball over the bar from eight yards after Tien Dung had deflected Akramjon Komilov’s cross into his path.

Urinboev’s miss mattered little in the end though, as Sidorov applied an expert finish to Khamdamov's last corner to steal the title for Uzbekistan and break Vietnamese hearts on a day of high drama.

The final game of the tournament has brought the curtain down on a remarkable campaign for Vietnam, one which will undoubtedly live long in the memories of Vietnamese fans and the Southeast Asian nation’s supporters. 

Previously, Vietnam has beaten all odds and surpassed all expectations to reach the finals of the AFC U23 Championship, becoming the first team in the history of Southeast Asia to get so far in the championship. 

Despite having been defeated in the finals, the Vietnamese players can hold their heads high and return home as national heroes. They are expected to receive the largest welcome ever prepared from the home fans at My Dinh National Stadium on January 28. 
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