The Southeast Asian team fell behind after just 20 seconds when Sultan Nasir Al Mheiri scored from the UAE’s opening attack.

Despite the early setback, the Vietnamese side quickly settled into the match and controlled possession for much of the first half. After several threatening moves involving Sy Bach and Minh Thuy, Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc curled a free-kick beyond goalkeeper Josh Bentley in the 41st minute to level the score at 1-1.

The Vietnamese players continued to push forward after the restart and moved ahead three minutes into the second half. Dai Nhan drilled a low cross into the area before Nguyen Van Duong converted from close range to make it 2-1.

The UAE drew level again in the 56th minute when Adam Mahrous beat his marker and fired a low shot into the corner.

Vietnam regained the lead in the 69th minute as Manh Cuong powered home a header from a left-wing corner.

Late pressure from the Emirati side forced the Vietnamese defense deep into stoppage time, but goalkeeper Xuan Hoa produced a crucial save to preserve the 3-2 victory and send his team to the U17 World Cup.

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