U23 Asian Cup: S. Korea, Vietnam enter quarterfinals

Vietnam coach Gong Oh-kyun’s venture to give several fresh players the opportunity to demonstrate their prowess paid off as his team beat Malaysia 2-0 to reach the AFC U23 Asian Cup knock-out stage together with defending champions South Korea on Wednesday.

At Lokomotiv Stadium in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent where Vietnam stunningly tied 1-1 with the trophy holders last Sunday, the young Golden Stars spent their first 20 minutes or so calming down the Malay Tigers, who aggressively sought their first points after two losses.

In the 23rd minute, a high ball from left winger Nguyen Thanh Nhan, one of the fresh Vietnamese players in the game, found striker Nham Manh Dung inside the penalty box, and the all-red side took the lead with the forward’s header.

Just before breaktime, referee Dilan Perera handed out a red card to Malaysia defender Hairiey Hakim for his intentional handball inside the box. Vietnam captain Bui Hoang Viet Anh converted the penalty to double the gap.

Ten-man Malaysia failed to change the score during the second half while their Southeast Asian rivals played more comfortably thanks to their two goals.

The young Golden Stars finished second in Group C with five points behind group winners South Korea, who saw off Thailand with a 1-0 win and seven points after three matches.

The young Taeguk Warriors will take on the Group D runners-up in the quarterfinals, while Vietnam play the Group D winners on Sunday.