Conceding a goal with only 59 seconds left, the Vietnamese team lost miserably in the Asian Futsal quarterfinals

The Vietnamese team faced Uzbekistan – the 25th ranked team in the world, ranked 3rd in Asia – in the quarterfinals of the Futsal Asian Cup 2024. Facing a strong opponent, coach Diego Giustozzi and his team almost created a surprise.

Entering the match, the Vietnamese team entered the game well, was confident and played proactively. Pham Duc Hoa and his teammates organized a tight defense, caught good people and attacked quickly.

Coach Diego Giustozzi’s players kept the game on par with their opponents. Uzbekistan still has highly threatening attack situations but not often. Goalkeeper Ho Van Y was still excellent in preventing the opponent’s shots.

The surprise happened in the 17th minute. From Nguyen Manh Dung’s corner kick, Tu Minh Quang moved across the front of the goal, confusing the Uzbekistan goalkeeper and defender before creating an opportunity for his teammates. Nguyen Thinh Phat finished from close range. The Vietnamese team opened the score.

In the lead, the Vietnamese team faced great pressure from their opponents. Ho Van Y and his teammates struggled to defend against the attack of Uzbekistan’s players. The Vietnamese team occasionally had dangerous responses but could not take advantage of the opportunity.

Despite great efforts and diligence, coach Diego Giustozzi’s players still could not maintain the lead. Elbek Tulkinov equalized for Uzbekistan with a close-range header that goalkeeper Ho Van Y did not have time to react to block.

Both teams had unfortunate situations in the final minutes of the match when the ball hit the post. The Vietnamese team had to experience a more bitter feeling when conceding a goal in the last minute. The opponent’s shot from the edge was so strong that even though goalkeeper Ho Van Y was very alert and closed the corner, he could not stop it.

The Vietnamese team conceded a goal with only 59 seconds left in the match. The appeal was unsuccessful, the remaining time was not enough for coach Giustozzi’s players to equalize. Losing 1-2, the Vietnamese team stopped in the 2024 Futsal Asian Cup but still had a chance to compete for the World Cup.

Tieu Minh