Vietnam missed the bronze medal in the men’s football at the Asian Games (ASIAD) 2018 after losing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a match in Indonesia on September 1.

This is the first time Vietnam has entered the semifinals of an ASIAD, the world’s second biggest multiple sports event after the Olympics. (Source: vietnamnet.vn)

The game went straight to a penalty shootout after the normal time ended with a 1-1 draw. Vietnam suffered a 3-4 defeat on the penalty round.

In the first ten minutes, Vietnam were up in the game. However, Alhashmi Ahmad unexpectedly scored the first goal for the UAE in the 17th minute after a shot outside the box.

In the 27th minutes, Vietnam equalised the score with Nguyen Van Quyet tapping in from very close range following a succession within the box.

Vietnam struck continuously during the last minutes of the second half but missed at least three clear chances.

Earlier, Vietnam lost 3-1 to the Republic of Korea in the semi-finals, while UAE were defeated 1-0 by Japan.

Vietnam enjoyed a smooth passage to the semi-finals by topping Group E with a perfect record of three wins. They then saw off Bahrain in the round of 16 and Syria in the quarter-finals. 

This is the first time Vietnam has entered the semifinals of an ASIAD, the world’s second biggest multiple sports event after the Olympics. 

This year’s edition, held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, has drawn 16,000 competitors and officials from 45 countries and territories. –VNA