Vietnam win third consecutive ASEAN U-23 title

Vietnam’s U-23 football players celebrate when successfully defending their ASEAN U23 Championship title. (Photo: VFF)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s national U-23 football team successfully defended their ASEAN U23 Championship after a 1-0 victory against hosts Indonesia in the final on July 29 evening.

A single goal from striker Nguyen Cong Phuong was enough to grant the team their third successive title, cementing their place as the tournament's most successful team.

Both teams opted for a cautious start to the match and did not hesitate to make hard tackles. Mistakes were few and far between, especially during the opening minutes.

The tempo started to quicken after the fifth minute, when Indonesia got their first chance through heritage striker Jens Raven, whose header went just wide.

Raven, who is the tournament's top scorer, had another golden opportunity in the 29th minute, when he was through on goal. The shot from the Holland-born striker, however, was too tame for Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien.

Vietnam also got their fair share of opportunity in the first half. From the corner in the 25th minute, Nguyen Van Truong headed the ball centimetres away from the top corner of Muhammad Ardiansyah's goal.

Truong screamed loudly in frustration, but the anguish soon turned into elation for Vietnam's tenacious midfielder, as he got to celebrate his teammate's goal just eleven minutes later.

With a goal in their pocket, Vietnam played defensively in the second half to protect the lead. A combination of both the Vietnamese team's brave efforts, along with Indonesia's wasteful finishing led to the final ending Vietnam's way with a minimal 1-0 victory.

Having successfully defended the cup, Vietnam’s under-23s are mentally well on their way to reclaim the men's football gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December./.

VNA