The Vietnamese U19s upset “older brothers” Vietnamese U21s 3-1 while the Thai U21 squad defeated the Malaysian counterparts on the same margin in the semifinals on Friday.
The Thai U21s proved stronger than the Malaysian rivals and deserved to book a berth in the final match of the fourth annual youth football competition sponsored by Thanh Nien newspaper.
In other action, the Vietnamese U19s were considered the underdogs against the Vietnamese U21s in the semis, but the young bucks bested their elders in the end.
The match between the “brothers” was a real fight from beginning to end, making it very exciting.
The U19s took the lead after seven minutes when Quoc Phuong scored the opener from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area.
After the break, midfield Huu Phat of the U21 team scored an equalizer off of a penalty kick after referee Vo Minh Tri ruled that Duc Tai was tackled in the U19 team’s penalty box.
The U21s, who beat Thailand 3-1 and Myanmar 5-1 in the group stage, were expected to play better after the equalizer.
However, it was the U19s who kept their spirits high and managed to score two more goals for a decisive victory.
Vietnam’s U19 squad won the 2010 International Under-21 Football Tournament Championship after beating Thailand’s U21s 2-1 in the final match at Ho Chi Minh City’s Thong Nhat Stadium on Sunday.