>>> Vietnam beat Timor Leste 2-0 in 2020 AFC U16 Championship qualifiers
In the previous match, Mongolia proved to be tough opponents as they narrowly lost 2-1 to the strong Australian side. However, in their third match, against hosts Vietnam yesterday at the Hanoi-based Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre, the Mongolian team were soon to be overwhelmed by the motivated hosts.
Coach Dinh The Nam’s side pushed the tempo up right from the opening whistle, pressing right on the Mongolian field in order to seek the opener as soon as possible. They were paid off with the opening goal right in the 5th minute, thanks to a penalty resulting from a handball in the Mongolian box. Captain Do Van Chi made no mistake from on the spot to put his side ahead.
The game became even more favourable for the hosts as they again found the net in the 17th minute after a series of overwhelming attacks, thanks to defender Ha Van Viet’s close range finish from Quang Vinh's pass.
Vietnam widened the gap to 3-0 in the 24th minute when Cai Van Quy broke the Mongolian defensive line, before passing the ball to Vo Anh Quan to easily tap into the net.
It was Nguyen Cong Son's turn to launch a rocket outside the guests’ penalty area in the 40th minute, closing the first half with a 4-0 lead for Vietnam U16s.
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Vietnam U16 (in white) and Mongolia U16 players in action during their Group H clash under the AFC U16 Championship 2020 Qualifiers in Hanoi on Wednesday. (Photo: Vietnam Football Federation)
In the second half, Vietnam maintained control of the match. Meanwhile, the Mongolian players showed both mental and physical decline. As a result, they conceded three additional goals by Cai Van Quy (74th minute), Minh Tu (75th minute) and Duc Vinh (80th minutes).
The second convincing win helps Vietnam U16s maintain their leading position in Group H with six points, on par with second place Australia U16s but with a better goal difference. In the earlier match of the same day, Australia beat Macau (China) 3-0.
Coach Nam praised his team’s results in a post-match brief but also urged Vietnamese players to stay focused in the next clash against Macau on Friday, before entertaining Australia in the last group match two days later.
