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HA NOI - Viet Nam failed to
make it into the final of the International Under-21 Football Tournament
after a 4-0 loss to powerhouse Iran in the semi-finals yesterday.
Viet Nam, who won the championship last year, pulled out all the stops in
their match against Iran at Hue city’s Tu Do Stadium yesterday, but proved
no match for their powerful rivals.
The hosts had a good start when Nguyen Duc Thien, who scored three goals for
Viet Nam in group competition, took an early shot at goal minutes into the
game, but the shot was blocked by Iranian keeper Mohammad Bagher Sadeghi.
Although playing defensively, the Vietnamese side lost control of the game
by the half hour mark as Iranian players dominated the game with better
play.
Iranian captain Rasoul Kor out-jumped Vietnamese defenders to convert a
corner kick into a goal by heading the ball into the net, beating keeper
Nguyen Thanh Nam.
Viet Nam regrouped and launched more attacks, but the lone striker, Nguyen
Duc Thien, could not score despite a few good chances.
After half-time, Mohammad Saleh Khalil Azad made the score 2-0, while
striker Jaladin Alimohammadi scored another to put Iran firmly on their way
to the finals. In the 87th minute, substitute Soroush Rafiei escaped an
off-side trap to get past the Vietnamese goalie before tapping the ball home
into an empty net.
Despite of endeavours of Duc Thien, Phan Thanh Hung and Nguyen Phuc Hiep,
the hosts failed to find their consolation goal during injury time.
Iran will meet Thailand, who beat Singapore 3-1 in other semi-final
yesterday, in the finals tomorrow.
Viet Nam will meet Singapore to battle for third-place.
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