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Vietnam makes history by reaching U23 AFC Final
Ngoc Thuy 19:58, 2018/01/23
Against all odds, Vietnam has beaten Qatar in the AFC U23 Championship semifinals, bringing joy and happiness to the entire nation.
Following a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes, the Vietnam team kept their cool and won out 4-3 in a close penalty shootout to become the first national football team from Southeast Asia to reach the finals of the Asian championship. 
 
Vietnam became the pride of Southeast Asia after reaching U23 AFC Final.
Vietnam became the pride of Southeast Asia after reaching U23 AFC Final.
The match was even before Qatar was rewarded a controversial penalty, which Akram Afif successfully converted to give his side a crucial lead. 

However, Nguyen Quang Hai from the Vietnamese side equalized in the 69th minute after the Qatari defenders messed up a clearance. 

With three minutes remaining, Qatar thought to have stolen the win when Almoez Ali bundled the ball over the line from close range after the Vietnamese defenders failed to clear the ball from the goal line. Showing indomitable spirit, Vietnam refused to give up and Quang Hai scored a stunner just 2 minutes later to level the game.

The game then went into extra time as it ended with a 2-2 tie in regular time. However, as neither side was unable to find the net, the game went into a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. 

Just like the quarter finals against Iraq, Vietnam came out on top, this time with a slight 4-3 lead. With this win, Vietnam will enter the finals and face either Korea or Uzbekistan, who are set to play on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, Vietnam also became the first Southeast Asian team to achieve a group stage victory by defeating Australia, and the second team from the region to reach the quarterfinals, after Malaysia.

Before the match, the Vietnamese team’s coach Park Hang-seo stressed that determination and belief are the two most important factors that made it possible for the current Vietnamese team to make history at the tournament. 

“Previously, we faced 4 strong teams, so Vietnam got used to fighting against all odds. I think determination and belief keep them continue fighting and overcome physical fatigue. Therefore, I believe they will keep playing at a high level,” said Park. 

Meanwhile, Qatari coach Felix Sanchez believed focus is decisive to win this kind of match, but the game had not gone as planned for them.

“In this type of (knockout) game, the small details are sometimes very important, and you can pay a big price for small mistakes. Hopefully, we can be effective in all the things that we know we have to do well, and will be organized enough not to allow Vietnam to play to their strengths.”
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