U23 Vietnam faced great pressure from U23 RoK’s superior ability since the beginning of the match.
In the 8th minute, Lee Jin-yong was through on goal after Luong Duy Cuong lost possession just outside the six-yard box. The midfielder's effort, however, was stopped by Thanh Binh.
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U23 Vietnam hold a draw against defending champion U23 RoK. |
In the 32nd minute, Vietnam U23 Vietnam got the first dangerous opportunity of the match. Le Van Do's cross met Tien Long in the far post. Long had a powerful shot but hit the side netting.
In the 42nd minute, Eom Ji-sung hit a low and dangerous shot toward the goal, but Quan Van Chuan was able to keep the ball out.
In the second half, U23 RoK continued keeping control the ball and putting great pressure on U23 Vietnam. In the 64th minute, Tuan Tai’s awful clearance led to a counter from the RoK. Cho Young-wook freely received the ball in Vietnam's six-yard box, and his great turn and shot left Chuan no chance to stop.
The breakthrough of the match came at the 78th minute when Lee Jin-yong fouled Van Tung just outside the six-yard box. The central midfielder had already been booked for a blatant challenge before and was shown his second yellow card after VAR interfered.
With the main advantage, Vietnam pressed all over the RoK's half and got the equalizer they craved for in the 73rd minute thanks to screamer of Vu Tien Long.
Both teams went tit-for-tat in the final minutes of the match, but the two defenses stayed strong and the match ended with a 1-1 draw.
With this result, U23 Vietnam are in third place with two points after drawing Group C's Thailand and the RoK. On Wednesday, they will face Malaysia with a view of securing three points and qualification into the second round.
Translated by Trung Thanh