Vietnam beat hosts Bahrain 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the AFC Under-19 Football Championship.
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FIFA immediately sent congratulations to the U19 Vietnam.
Vietnamese striker Tran Thanh beat Bahraini goalkeeper Yusuf Habib in the 72nd minute to secure the win.
Bahrain dominated the first half but squandered several chances. Vietnam upped their game in the second half, producing some good opportunities before striker Thanh scored.
The Vietnam's victory marked a historic double for the U19 team by reaching the semifinals of an AFC football competition for the first time and by qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be held in the Republic of Korea in 2017, for the first time.
In the semifinals of the AFC football competition, Vietnam will face either Japan or Tajikistan, with the two sides meeting in the quarterfinals on October 24.
Vietnam’s U19 team head coach Hoang Anh Tuan.
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“What can I say? The win is extraordinary and I’m so happy and proud of what our players displayed,” Vietnam’s U19 team head coach Hoang Anh Tuan said in a post-match interview.
The coach said that in modern football, strategy is the most important thing, the Vietnamese team searched for every bit of information on Bahrain to break them down.
Tuan told that Bahrain’s problems lie in fitness and after around 70 minutes, they often lose strength and make mistakes, this was the time for Vietnam to attack and look for goals. Everything happened exactly that way.
“The victory is the result of long-term preparation, not just 90 minutes on the pitch. In order to build a team with resilience and concentration, it needs a lot of time. Fighting spirit is our advantage. Everyone saw how much our players put into the game,” he shared.
