Harimau Muda suffered a frustrating start to their AFC U-23 qualifying campaign after they were defeated 2-1 by Vietnam at the Shah Alam Stadium.
Razip Ismail named a relatively strong team, led by the likes of Nazirul Naim and the man certainly did not disappoint by breaking the deadlock for Malaysia on the 33rd minute mark. He curled home a terrific free kick to not only put them ahead, but also send the fans into frenzy mode.
But their joy ended up being temporary as Vietnam bounced back immediately to press Malaysia on the offensive, and they got their equalizer just five minutes later. Vo Huy Toan fired home to silent the Shah Alam Stadium, and remind the Young Tigers of what they were capable of.
Surprisingly enough, that goal seemed like it demoralized the Malaysians as Vietnam’s young guns dictated proceedings in the middle of the mark. It’s safe to say that Razip’s men should be well equipped enough to deal with situations like this, but in this game, Vietnam showcased their superiority, which ultimately led to the third goal of the game.
Just one minute before the break, Nguyen Cong Phuong netted home to put Vietnam 2-1 ahead, and completely alter the motives of Razip’s half time team talk.
Fans though, were expecting Razip’s men to produce a comeback after the break; something that perhaps happened sporadically as they struggled to break down the a very disciplined outfit. They struggled to not only match them creatively, but also in terms of work rate as their Vietnamese midfield ran rings around them.
As the match progressed, the tempo visibly slowed down as somehow, you just knew Vietnam were good value for the win. They eventually held on to secured a morale-boosting that also gets their AFC campaign off to a splendid start.
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