Right from the start, Vietnamese players entered the game with high determination, aiming for a win to build confidence ahead of their final match. However, playing under heavy rain, coach Cristiano Roland’s players struggled as the Chinese hosts applied strong pressure.

In the 12th minute, Kuang Zhao Lei broke through Vietnam’s defence and delivered a precise pass for Liang Shiyu to finish clinically, opening the scoring. Just five minutes later, Wan Xiang doubled the lead with an easy close-range shot after a low cross from a teammate.

Facing a 0-2 deficit, Roland’s players found it difficult to create chances, while China maintained control and comfortably dealt with Vietnam’s attacking efforts.

In the second half, Vietnam U16s pushed forward in search of goals. In the 47th minute, from a free kick by Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc, Nguyen Van Duong rose high to head the ball into the net, reducing the gap to 1-2.

However, the overall gameplay didn’t improve significantly after the goal. The turning point came when Zhang Junhao received a red card for a dangerous foul, forcing China to defend deeper.

With the advantage in numbers, Vietnamese players intensified their attacks. In the 85th minute, Sy Bach produced a stunning moment of brilliance, firing a shot from near the byline. The ball curved unexpectedly, catching the Chinese goalkeeper off guard and ending up in the net.

In the final minutes, neither team managed to score again, and Vietnam U16s also ended the match with 10 players after Tri Dung was sent off in the penultimate minute of stoppage time.

In the final round on June 1, Vietnam will face Saudi Arabia, while China will take on Australia.

Vietnam lose 1-2 to Australia in CFA Youth Friendly Tournament for U16s

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s U16 national football team on May 28 suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Australia in their opening match of the CFA International Youth Football Tournament that is getting underway in Inner Mongolia, China.