>>> Vietnam to meet Lebanon in 2021 FIFA Futsal World Cup play-off
>>> Futsal: Vietnam stun Iraq 2-1 in friendly ahead of World Cup play-off
>>> Vietnam enter knockout stage at 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup
With Vietnam being the home side for the Sunday clash, the stalemate handed them the upper hand in the race for a World Cup place, as a tie with goals in tomorrow’s second-leg meeting will be just enough to fire them through to the world’s largest futsal competition, to be hosted by Lithuania from September 12 to October 3.
Given the importance of the match, head coach Pham Minh Giang selected experienced players for the starting squad, including Ho Nhu Y (Goleiro), captain Tran Van Vu (Fixo), Le Quoc Nam (Ala), Chau Doan Phat (Ala), and Nguyen Minh Tri (Pivo).
The Vietnamese players showed a high level of concentration right from the first whistle, calmly neutralising Lebanon’s attacks while confidently organising good counterattacks and putting great pressure on the opposite goal. However, their shots were not subtle enough to be converted into goals.
A similar situation was also seen on the Lebanese side as they also created a number of opportunities but failed to find the back of the net.
After halftime, Lebanon increased their pressure seeking to open the scoring, knowing that away goals would give them a big advantage while playing on “home field” in the second leg.
Fully comprehending the rivals’ psychology, Pham Minh Giang’s troops continued to play solidly while strictly complying with the coaching staff’s tactics. Late in the match, they took control of the game and produced constant attacks, but still could not get off the mark.
Despite missing out on a victory, keeping a clean sheet on “home field” is also a positive result for the Vietnamese side. With the away goal rule being applied, this will provide the Southeast Asian team an upper hand when re-meeting Lebanon in the second leg on May 25.
