Vietnam were trounced 0-4 by France in their second group-stage match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea on Thursday.
The defeat came as no surprise to Vietnamese fans when the tournament first-timers were challenged by the 2013 champions.
France were awarded a penalty only six minutes into the game, but Augustin spurned the chance with a botched Panenka attempt.
However, the young Les Blues effortlessly finished the first half with a 3-0 lead, with Marcus Thuram, son of legendary defender Lilian Thuram, among the three scorers.
Vietnam only conceded another goal in the second half as several main French players were benched to keep them fresh for the knock-out stage.
France, having beaten Honduras 3-0 in their first game, now top Group E with six points and have secured a place in the round of 16.
Vietnam’s coach Hoang Anh Tuan previously revealed that he was looking beyond the France match to the last group-stage game with Honduras this Sunday.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup’s round of 16 will consist of the leaders and second-placed teams of each of the six groups and four best third-placed contenders.
With one point after an impressive 0-0 tournament-opening draw with New Zealand on Monday, Vietnam are staring at a spot in the next round, with all hopes now pinned on the decisive Honduras clash.
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