Falling into Group D with Japan, Nepal and Pakistan, the Vietnamese Olympic team were expected to easily win one of the 2 places on offer in the next round.
The Vietnamese Olympic team led by head coach Park Hang Seo beat Pakistan 3-0 in their opening match of Group D thanks to goals by Nguyen Quang Hai (in the 21st minute), Nguyen Van Quyet (in the 41st minute) and Nguyen Cong Phuong (in the 72nd minute).
The win put Vietnam on top of Group D, above Japan on goal difference.
Filled with the determination to get through to the next round, the Vietnamese players put in a great effort while facing Nepal in their second match.
Nguyen Van Quyet and Phan Van Duc played well, scoring 2 goals for Vietnam to secure a 2-0 win over Nepal to win a place in the last 16 of the men’s football at ASIAD 2018.
In the final match of the group stage, Vietnam met Japan. Although the Vietnamese team had already progressed from the group, they were determined to win.
Quang Hai scored an early goal in the 3rd minute, capitalising on a mistake by the Japanese Olympic team.
The match between Vietnam and Japan ended 1-0.
The Vietnamese Olympic team topped Group D winning all three of their matches, scoring 6 goals and conceding none in the process. Vietnam’s next opponents were Bahrain in the last 16.
Vietnam faced a setback in their preparations for Bahrain when central defender Dinh Trong suffered an injury.
Bahrain posed a new threat to Vietnam, having done their homework on Park Hang Seo’s tactical ploys.
However, Bahrain were cut down to ten men following a rash tackle by Ahmed Sanad on Van Thanh in the 42nd minute, earning him a straight red card.
The Vietnamese Olympic team stepped up the speed of their attacking play in the final 20 minutes, pushing Bahrain back towards their net.
Cong Phuong scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute. Vietnam took a vital 1-0 victory over Bahrain to get to their first ever ASIAD quarter-finals.
The Vietnamese team faced Syria in the quarter-finals. Head coach Park Hang Seo considers Syria as the strongest challenge for Vietnam at ASIAD so far.
Syria proved tough competition for the Vietnamese Olympic team, going close to scoring a number of times.
Vietnam played professionally and were the better team for much of the match, but after 90-minutes it remained scoreless.
Head coach Park Hang Seo showed his tactical nous with a strategic substitution. Van Toan took to the pitch to replace Cong Phuong in the 82nd minute, scoring the only goal of the game in the 108th minute.
Vietnam beat Syria 1-0 after the 120-minute match.
With this historical win, the Vietnamese Olympic team led by head coach Park Hang Seo have won their first ever place in the semi-finals of the men’s football at Asian Games and are still yet to concede a goal.
The semi-final match between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea is set to get underway at 4pm (Vietnam time) on August 29 in Pakansari Stadium.