Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Changshu: Bashar Resan’s miss from the penalty spot earned Vietnam a place in the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Championship 2018 on Saturday as Park Hang-seo’s side defeated former champions Iraq 5-3 in a penalty shootout after an extraordinary 3-3 draw following extra-time.
Resan’s attempt to float his penalty down the middle of the goal in the opening round of spot-kicks failed to fool goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung and the Vietnamese goalkeeper calmly collected the ball in his arms to, ultimately, seal Vietnam’s victory.
The shootout brought a remarkable game to a tense conclusion and sends Vietnam into the last four for the first time ever, and they will take on Qatar in the semi-finals in Changzhou on Tuesday.
Iraq went into the game in confident mood after topping Group D and dictated the opening exchanges but, with Vietnam’s defensive discipline to the fore in the early exchanges, there was little Abdulghani Shahad’s side could do to find a way through.
Indeed, it was the Vietnamese who took the lead with just 12 minutes on the clock after Iraq’s defence failed to clear a corner. The ball fell to Phan Van Duc, whose mis-hit attempt at an overhead kick landed at the feet of Nguyen Cong Phuong, who scored past Ahmed Basil from inside the six-yard box.