Vietnam enter next round despite loss to Italy at Futsal World Cup
Sunday, September 18, 2016, 15:10 GMT+7
Vietnam have advanced to the round of 16 at the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia despite their defeat against the Italian team on Sunday morning (Vietnam time).
The Vietnamese players suffered a 0-2 loss to their Italian opponents in the final battle of Group C, but their performance so far has been enough to earn the team a ticket to the next round, where the top 16 teams will compete with one other.
Bruno Garcia Formoso’s men played defensively against Italy, with the Vietnamese team’s formation designed mainly to protect the net of goalie Dinh Thuan.
However, the game began with a rocky start for the Vietnamese as their Italian competitors scored their first goal after the first five minutes.
Vietnam strengthened their defense and managed to secure their net till the end of the first half.
In the 27th minute, Italy expanded the gap with their second successful strike.
The Vietnamese team, though considered the underdogs, had succeeded in protecting their net against a total of 13 attacks by their opponents, before the game concluded with the overall 2-0 win for Italy.
Vietnam’s Coach Bruno Garcia Formoso reacts during the game on September 18, 2016. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Competition in Group C wrapped up with nine points for Italy, followed by Paraguay with six points, and Vietnam, who pocketed three points in total.
Vietnam’s goal difference was better than Panama and Australia, who also ranked third in Group A and D, meaning that the Vietnamese team secured their spot in the round of 16.
Their upcoming opponents are expected to be either Portugal or Russia.
Winning the first-ever ticket to the FIFA Futsal World Cup is a historic achievement for the young Vietnamese futsal team, which rank 42nd worldwide.
In their first two games in Group C last week, Vietnam won 4-2 over Guatemala and lost 1-7 to Paraguay.
A total of 24 teams qualified for the tournament in Colombia.
They compete in six groups of four from September 10 to October 1.
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