Many years ago, fans lingered on the stands after a match to applaud Vietnam’s national football team. This happened yesterday in Ho Chi Minh City when U-19 Vietnam lost 1-2 to U-19 AS Roma at the Nutrifood Cup.

Also of note during yesterday’s match was that AS Roma, Italy’s strong and well-regarded team, had to play defensively against Vietnam.

Statistics show that Vietnam had better ball possession with accurate and fast one-touch passes all over the field. The team controlled the ball for a total of 27 of 35 minutes in the first half of the game. In the second half, Vietnam controlled the ball for 26 of 36 minutes.

The match started at 18:00pm but fans began queuing to enter Thong Nhat Stadium at 15:00pm.

“I decided to cancel all my shows to come here to watch U-19 Vietnam play,” said the famous actor Tan Beo.

It was a sold out game, but organizers allowed fans without tickets to stand to watch U-19 play.

After South Korean referee Kim Dae Yong blew the whistle to terminate 90 minutes of the match, fans stood up to applaud and cheer the players. This is a rare sight in Vietnam since other national teams have recently been tarnished by corruption, poor performance, and a lack of sportsmanship.

At a press meeting after the match, AS Roma coach Alberto De Rossi said that many Vietnamese players of the U-19 team are qualified to play for European clubs.

“I didn’t intend for my team to have to play so defensively, but U-19 Vietnam forced them to with their fast and accurate one-touch style,” he said. “I am impressed and surprised by the Vietnamese players.”

“I am most impressed by Vietnamese players Tuan Anh, Nguyen Van Toan, and Nguyen Cong Phung,” he added.

During most of the match, AS Roma arranged nine players plus a keeper to play with a two-layer defensive wall installed 25 meters from their goal frame.

Vietnam’s French coach Graechen Guillaume admitted, “I am disappointed with the loss but satisfied with my players’ performance and style.

“We learned a big lesson on playing effectively. This loss is useful for us because it helps my players recognize their weaknesses.”