India vs Vietnam, Highlights: Hosts hand Blue Tigers 3-0 defeat in friendly

After
playing
out
a
1-1
draw
against
Singapore
in
their
previous
match,
India
fell
to
a
0-3
defeat
at
the
hands
of
the
host
nation.
Following
the
loss,
India
finished
the
friendly
tournament
with
one
point.
The
Blue
Tigers
finished
on
second
spot,
ahead
of
Singapore
on
goal
difference.

The
opening
exchanges
saw
India
get
off
on
the
front
foot,
winning
the
first
corner
of
the
game,
one
that
Sunil
Chhetri
swung
in
for
Anirudh
Thapa,
who
was
lurking
inside
the
six-yard-box,
but
the
ball
evaded
the
latter.

At
the
other
end,
Nguyen
Cong
Phuong
of
Vietnam
was
played
into
the
Indian
box
on
the
left,
and
was
looking
to
put
in
a
dangerous
cut-back,
but
Blue
Tigers
centre-back
Sandesh
Jhingan
was
on
hand
to
avert
the
danger.

The
hosts
did
not
take
too
long
to
jump
into
the
lead
when
a
clearance
from
a
Vietnam
corner
fell
kindly
for
Phan
Van
Duc,
who
did
well
to
volley
it
home
with
his
back
turned
towards
the
goal,
giving
his
side
the
lead
on
the
10th
minute.

Despite
the
lead,
Vietnam
did
not
sit
back,
looking
to
score
their
second
of
the
night,
but
that
also
created
gaps
at
the
back.
Akash
Mishra
and
Ashique
Kuruniyan
combined
on
the
left
to
create
a
wonderful
opportunity
for
India
in
the
26th
minute.
Mishra
soared
up
the
left
and
fed
it
through
to
Ashique
in
the
box.
The
latter
took
a
touch
and
sent
in
a
left-footed
volley
which
went
wide.

Minutes
later,
Ho
Tan
Tai
whipped
in
a
dangerous
cross
from
the
right
towards
Nguyen
Tien
Linh,
but
Chinglensana
Konsham
did
well
to
get
his
body
in
the
way
and
clear
the
danger.

Sahal
Abdul
Samad
had
a
great
opportunity
around
the
half
hour
mark
when
Udanta
played
it
to
him
inside
the
box,
as
he
stepped
past
his
marker
and
tried
to
cross
it,
but
the
ball
went
straight
to
Vietnam
keeper
Tran
Nguyen
Manh.

Blue
Tigers
head
coach
Igor
Stimac
was
forced
into
an
early
substitution
when
Sahal
hobbled
off
with
an
injury,
and
was
replaced
by
Rahul
KP.

India
had
their
best
chance
of
the
first
half
with
just
about
a
minute
of
regulation
time
left
on
the
clock,
when
an
Akash
Mishra
cross
from
the
left
found
an
unmarked
Sunil
Chhetri
inside
the
six-yard
box.
The
India
captain
attempted
to
flick
his
header
in
off
the
far
post,
but
missed
by
a
mere
whisker,
as
the
referee
soon
blew
his
whistle
signalling
the
lemon
break.

Vietnam
made
a
couple
of
changes
at
the
start
of
the
second
half,
and
it
was
second
half
substitute
Nguyen
Van
Toan,
who
doubled
their
lead
four
minutes
into
the
second
half.
Giving
chase
after
an
aerial
ball,
Van
Toan
barged
past
Indian
centre-back
Anwar
Ali,
entered
the
box,
and
slipped
it
into
the
bottom
corner.

Chances
were
few
and
far
between
for
India
against
the
confident
hosts
at
the
start
of
the
second
half,
but
a
determined
Udanta
Singh,
giving
chase
after
the
lost
causes,
nicked
the
ball
on
the
left
flank,
squared
it
to
Ashique,
who
crossed
it
in
for
Chhetri,
but
the
ball
was
cut
out.

Stimac
soon
introduced
some
fresh
legs
into
the
fray,
looking
to
change
India’s
fortunes,
as
Brandon
Fernandes,
Liston
Colaco,
and
Roshan
Singh
were
brought
on
for
Chhetri,
Udanta
and
Chinglensana,
with
around
25
minutes
of
regulation
time
to
go.

While
these
substitutions
did
allow
India
to
gain
a
bit
more
control
of
possession
in
the
middle
of
the
park,
that
also
left
spaces
behind,
which
is
exactly
what
Vietnam
exploited
in
their
third
goal
of
the
night.
Bui
Hoang
Viet
Ahn’s
cross
from
the
right
was
headed
clear
by
Jhingan,
but
Nguyen
Van
Quyet
got
on
the
stray
ball
and
smashed
it
home.

Gurpreet
produced
a
couple
of
reflex
saves
to
keep
the
score
at
0-3,
before
India
produced
their
best
chance
of
the
second
half.
Liston
Colaco
darted
up
the
pitch
on
a
counter
attack,
entered
the
box,
and
squared
it
towards
an
onrushing
Rahul
KP,
who
only
had
to
turn
it
into
an
empty
net,
but
could
not
reach
the
ball
in
time.

India
threw
bodies
forward
in
the
closing
stages,
and
a
cross
by
substitute
Brandon
Fernandes
directed
towards
Sandesh
Jhingan
inside
the
Vietnam
box
created
some
excitement,
but
the
latter’s
header
was
straight
at
the
keeper.

With
this
result,
India
finish
the
Hung
Thinh
Friendly
Football
Tournament
with
one
point,
on
the
second
spot,
ahead
of
Singapore
on
goal
difference.

Source:
AIFF