The
team defeated Cambodia 5-0 in their Group C match, which saw them stay in
second place in the group on eight points while the group leader, Jordan, tied
3-3 with Afghanistan in the same round of matches.
Vietnamese football players. Photo: laodong.vn
Chung
will leave the team after the two matches that he was assigned to manage, after
former coach Nguyen Huu Thang resigned in August following the failure of
Vietnam’s U22 squad at the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia.
The
team will welcome their new coach Park Hang-seo from the Republic of Korea, who
will sign a contract with the Vietnam Football Federation in Hanoi on October
11. Park was also watching in the stands during October 10’s match.
Dinh
Thanh Trung opened the scoring for Vietnam just 13 minutes after the first
whistle.
Trung
received a pass from his teammate near the box and his shot deflected off a
Cambodain defender’s leg into the net, as Cambodia’s goalkeeper Sou Yaty failed
to react under the heavy rain.
Trung
nearly scored his double two minutes later, after he shot a volley to the right
side of the post, but it went a little wide.
Chung’s
strikers, Nguyen Cong Phuong and Nguyen Anh Duc, as well as his captain Nguyen
Van Quyet, also had opportunities to test Sou Yaty’s goalkeeping skills in the
first half, but the wet grass prevented them from accurately finishing.
Cambodia’s
Coach Leonardo Vitorino said at the pre-match briefing that Vietnam were a
stronger team but he hoped his players might create a minor shock at the My
Dinh Stadium, after their 1-2 loss in the first leg match last month in Phnom
Penh. However, they suffered an even greater defeat.
The
half-time break of over 10 minutes was not enough time for Vitorino to turn
around his team’s fortunes, and Vietnam’s captain Quyet made the score 2-0 for
the hosts around 10 minutes after the interval.
Trung
crafted a perfect pass into the box and Quyet finished with ease, with a header
to the far corner of the goal.
The
2015 Golden Ball winner Duc, who returned to the national team after several
years of absence, marked his presence with Vietnam’s third goal in the 60th
minute.
With
a move that again started with a pass from Trung, the ball found Duc inside the
box and he finished into the net, his first goal for the national team in three
years and seven months.
Phuong
finally scored his first goal for the national team in the 76th minute, when
the young striker left behind two Cambodian players before shooting into the
net.
Throughout
90 minutes of the match, Cambodia tried to launch their attacks but failed to
threaten Vietnam’s goalkeeper Tuan Manh.
By
losing this match, Cambodia’s hopes of winning the Cup have ended, and they are
now ranked third in the group with three points.
In
the next set of fixtures, Vietnam will host Afghanistan on November 14 while
Cambodia will host Jordan.
Source: VNA