Thanh Nhàn shines at the right moment, Vietnam U23 secures a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.
Coach Kim Sang-sik fielded an unusual starting lineup.
At 7 PM on September 9th, the Vietnam U23 team faced Yemen U23 in the final match of Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. This was a crucial match for qualification to the finals, and both teams were highly determined. Vietnam U23 had a slight advantage with a better goal difference and a higher ranking than Yemen, as well as the support of the home crowd. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team only needed a draw to secure their place in the next round, but the home team certainly wanted to achieve more.
Vietnam U23 aims for at least a draw.
PHOTO: MINH TU
Meanwhile, the Yemen U.23 team needs a win to advance.
PHOTO: MINH TU
The South Korean strategist surprised everyone by fielding a lineup with many changes. Quoc Viet and Ngoc My started, while Van Truong and Dinh Bac were on the bench. Notably, Dinh Bac has almost always been a starter from the start, from the U.23 Southeast Asian Championship to the Asian Championship.
The match started at a moderate pace. Vietnam U23 played quite calmly, controlling possession and dominating the game. Yemen U23 also avoided taking risks by attacking early and played defensively, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack.
A large number of fans came to Viet Tri Stadium ( Phu Tho province ) to cheer on the Vietnam U23 team.
PHOTO: MINH TU
Head coach of Yemen U.23
PHOTO: MINH TU
Despite creating several dangerous opportunities, the home team's strikers were unable to make a difference as the Yemen U23 defense defended tightly and averted threats in time. Coach Kim Sang-sik's players sought chances from set pieces but were unable to penetrate the visitors' solid defense.
Most notably, in the 20th minute, Quoc Viet fell inside the Yemen U.23 penalty area and signaled for a foul, but the referee allowed the game to continue.
Quoc Viet was selected to start.
PHOTO: MINH TU
Xuan Bac continues to feature in the most important match at home in Viet Tri.
PHOTO: MINH TU
In the 39th minute, coach Kim Sang-sik made three substitutions. Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, and Van Thuan were brought on to replace Quoc Viet, Van Khang, and Ngoc My, hoping to create a fresh dynamic in the attack.
Dinh Bac was brought onto the field in the 39th minute.
PHOTO: MINH TU
The first half ended goalless. U23 Yemen focused all their efforts on defense, hoping for set pieces or mistakes from U23 Vietnam to launch counter-attacks. In the final minute of added time, goalkeeper Trung Kien made an excellent save for U23 Vietnam when a U23 Yemen player unleashed a powerful shot from close range, but Trung Kien successfully blocked it.
Vietnam U23 achieved more than just "a minimal draw".
The Yemen U23 team played proactively from the start of the second half, determined to score because only a victory would secure their qualification. They had more attacking moves than in the first half, but overall maintained a stable defensive formation. Meanwhile, Dinh Bac continued to show his aggressiveness and relentlessly tried to create breakthroughs against the opponent's tight defense.
The game in the first half of the second half didn't change much compared to the first, with Vietnam U23 still dominating the match. However, coach Kim Sang-sik's team hadn't found a sharp attacking option, apart from crosses from the flanks. In the 69th minute, the fans at Viet Tri Stadium had a heart-stopping moment when Hieu Minh mishandled the ball in his own half. Fortunately for Vietnam U23, the ball went too far past the Yemen U23 striker's run.
In the 65th minute, during a corner kick, the Yemen U23 goalkeeper and defender misunderstood each other, but unfortunately, no Vietnam U23 player was there to capitalize on the opportunity. However, the fans at Viet Tri Stadium didn't have to wait long to celebrate. In the 70th minute, Van Nhuan made a sharp through pass, allowing Thanh Nhan to penetrate the penalty area before unleashing a decisive shot into the far corner of the visitors' goal, opening the scoring for Vietnam U23. For the third consecutive time, a substitute player scored, demonstrating the excellent effectiveness of coach Kim's substitutions.
Thanh Nhàn's impressive comeback.
PHOTO: MINH TU
The joy of the Vietnamese U.23 players.
PHOTO: MINH TU
In the remaining minutes, the visiting team pushed forward in search of an equalizer, but their efforts only resulted in a few not-so-dangerous situations in front of goalkeeper Trung Kien's goal. The final score was 1-0. This minimal victory was more than enough to secure Vietnam U23's place in the U23 Asian Championship finals in Saudi Arabia next year. This win also marked the impressive return of striker Thanh Nhan, who had previously missed the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship due to injury.
VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan affirmed that the continuous participation in the finals from 2016 to the present, including the runner-up finish in 2018, is clear evidence of the correct investment and direction in the development of youth football in Vietnam. The VFF President expressed his delight that the Vietnam U23 team has qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Championship finals for the sixth time.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thanh-nhan-ghi-ban-dang-cap-u23-viet-nam-thang-yemen-vff-thuong-lon-vi-tam-ve-vang-chau-a-185250909205237309.htm
Comment (0)