 Vietnam advances to 3rd round of World Cup qualifiers for the first time ever (Photo: Yeu Mai)
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Despite losing 2-3 to the UAE in its last group G match on Tuesday night, Vietnam still was one of five second-place teams to advance.
Vietnam fell behind early against hosts UAE, but closed the gap in the final minutes, with Tien Linh scoring in the 85th minute. 8 minutes later, Minh Vuong stole the ball and scored Vietnam’s 2nd goal.
Minh Vuong told reporters, “Vietnam had a difficult match, facing the strongest opponent in Group G. We competed with a brave spirit and advanced to the 3rd round of World Cup qualification. Our team will strive for higher targets in the upcoming matches.”
Team Vietnam will leave the UAE Wednesday evening and arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport Thursday morning. All team members will be quarantined for 21 days upon their return to Vietnam.
The third qualifying round draw will take place on June 24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The third round of World Cup qualifiers is slated for September.