Vietnam have good start at 2020 AFC U23 Championship

Vietnam (in red) thrash Brunei 6-0 on March 22.

Vietnam, runners-up in the 2018 edition of the continental youth championship held in China, dominated the game with 80 percent of possession. It was Ha Duc Chinh who gave Vietnam the lead right in the 10th minute when he got his header to a beautifully timed cross from Thanh Thinh and made the scoreboard 1-0.

In the 25th minute, a header from Huynh Tan Sinh hit the post and Nguyen Thanh Chung got a tap in to make it 2-0 for Vietnam.

The Vietnamese golden dragons were playing in and around the Brunei’s penalty area in the last five minutes of the first half. Meanwhile, their opponents were yet to enjoy a prolonged stint of possession.

The red-shirt players scored another score after Dinh Thanh Binh took a long shot and left the goalkeeper no chance in the additional time. 

In the second half, Nguyen Quang Hai, who substituted Ha Duc Chinh, created the opportunity for Trieu Viet Hung to score the fourth goal for Vietnam.

Vietnam gained additional two goals from penalty shootings after its players were fouled in the box.

Vietnam are in Group K in the qualifiers, along with Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei. Matches for the group take place at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi from March 22 to 26. Besides the match on March 22 against Brunei, Vietnam will play Indonesia on March 24, and Thailand on March 26.

The biennial tournament has attracted 44 teams which have been divided into 11 groups of four. The top 16 teams will qualify for the finals in Thailand next year.