In the 64th minute, referee Ko Hyung-jin decided to give Iraq U23 a penalty after consulting VAR technology. This black-shirted king said that Quan Van Chuan fouled Nihad in the penalty area.
The goalkeeper of U23 Vietnam made a hand-blocking move against the opposing striker. This is the phase where Nihad actively entered the penalty area when Van Cuong and Manh Hung lost concentration. Van Chuan rushed out and his arm touched his opponent’s shoulder. As long as there is an impact from the opponent, Nihad immediately falls.
Commenting on this situation, a V.League referee told Lao Dong: “Unfortunately, Quan Van Chuan was unlucky and carelessly fouled the opponent. The Iraqi U23 player took the initiative to fall but Van Chuan stepped out. Preventing the opponent without hitting the ball. The penalty is correct.”
Explaining the yellow card that Van Chuan received, the Vietnamese referee said that this was a wrong decision by his Korean colleague. Van Chuan made a mistake but Nihad couldn’t control the ball at his feet so this yellow card was unnecessary.
In the final phase of the match, Van Chuan continued to foul the U23 Iraqi player, still making an inaccurate hand save. However, referee Ko Hyung-jin consulted VAR technology and canceled the previous decision to blow a penalty because the Iraqi U23 player was offside before Van Chuan committed the foul.
However, U23 Vietnam did not have much hope of equalizing because Manh Hung received a red card after fouling Ali Jasim. The 0-1 defeat to U23 Iraq caused U23 Vietnam to miss the opportunity to win tickets to attend the 2024 Paris Olympic men’s soccer event.
