The Vietnamese side needed 32 minutes to take the lead, thanks to a header by Tran Danh Trung, before Pham Tuan Hai converted a penalty seven minutes after the hour mark to round off a convincing 2-0 win for Duong Hong Son’s side.

Vietnam U21s celebrate their championship trophy.

The hosts headed into the clash with strong determination, seeking to avenge their 1-2 defeat against the opponents in the group stage. However, it was the Japanese side who created the first clear-cut chance with a close-range rebound in the 29th minute, which was denied by goalkeeper Tung Lam’s brilliant reflexes.

After such a dangerous situation, Vietnam U21s played with greater focus and took just three minutes more to bring joy to home fans, as Danh Trung headed past goalie Riki from close range to put his team in front.

The opening goal added excitement to the game, as the Japanese players put up their offensive pressure in search of an equaliser. They came very close to realising that goal after being awarded a penalty in the 44th minute, but Tabei Ryo unexpectedly struck the post from the penalty spot.

The guests missed another chance to get on the scoresheet six minutes after the hour mark, as substitute Sato Daiki also shook the woodwork in a one-on-one with Vietnamese goalkeeper Tung Lam.

Pham Tuan Hai scores from the spot to seal a 2-0 win for Vietnam U21s.

The wasted opportunities forced the Japanese team to pay dearly, because, just one minute later, Danh Trung was brought down in the box and Pham Tuan Hai made no mistake converting the resulting penalty to seal a 2-0 victory for Vietnam U21s.

With the triumph, Vietnam U21s successfully defended their championship title at the U21 International Football Tournament. Meanwhile, FK Sarajevo U19s clinched the overall third prize after edging past the Hanyang University team (Republic of Korea) 1-0 on the same day thanks to a late strike by forward Nargalic Salko.

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Source: NDO