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VietNamNet Bridge – South Korea's U-23 team defeated host Viet Nam 2-0 in the first-round match of the Viet Nam Football Federation's SONHA Cup at Ha Noi's My Dinh Stadium yesterday, Nov 2.
Viet Nam make preparations at VFF Cup
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Overpowered:
South Korean player Yoo Sun-soo (left) vies with Vietnamese halfback Nhu Thanh
during the first round match of the SONHA Cup yesterday in Ha Noi. South Korea
won 2-0.. (Photo: VNS)
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The goal was partly attributed to Vietnamese goalkeeper Duong Hong Son who found himself in the wrong position. With other players also unready, Jung made his quick shot which went over Son's reach to enter the net at the 62nd minute.
The score was doubled in the extra time by small-sized left-wing halfback Kim Min-je who broke through Viet Nam's defence to shoot accurately.
At least three Vietnamese defenders followed him trying to steal the ball but Kim sped up and left them behind easily. Goalie Son who was the last person in the box found no way to block the shot, which came fast and strong.
The host team might have suffered even worse if Son had failed to stop Jung's second free kick at the 78th minute. Earlier in the first half, An Dong-hyeog also had a straight shot in the penalty area which touched a Vietnamese player before it found the right pole and went out.
The visitors, who had advantages in size and physical strength, did not waste a second to start up their attacks. They managed the ball and easily set up their domination although sometimes faced with rapid counter-attacks from Viet Nam.
The Vietnamese – who considered this Cup the last test for their most important tournament of the year, the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) Cup next month, where they are defending champions – could not find a way to resist the Koreans' dynamic and flexible tactics. They could only open attacks to fail or finish badly.
Only striker Nguyen Viet Thang found no way to break the South Korean thick-and-quick defence which refused all balls passed to their box and cracked the link between Thang and his teammates. Thang in the second half received two chances to head to South Korea's net, but these were not difficult for goalie Lee Ho-sung.
Coach Henrique Calisto replaced all of his halfbacks in the second half in the hopes of changing the situation. Four new players were fielded, bringing a fresh wind to the host, but the Koreans needed only ten minutes to make them useless.
No goal for the host means a bonus of US$1,000 for the first national team member who scores in this tournament remains unclaimed.
In an earlier match, North Korea came from behind to beat Singapore 2-1.
After the first round, South Korea top the table with three points. North Korea, which triumphed at last month's Millennium Thang Long Cup, follow with one goal less. Singapore, Viet Nam's primary rival in the AFF Cup group round are third and will meet the host team in a second match tomorrow night.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
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