An early goal from striker Nguyen Quoc Viet gave Vietnam an unexpected 1-0 win over Australia in the opening game of Group B at the 2023 AFC U20 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan on Wednesday afternoon.

Vietnam entered the match as the widely-considered underdogs.

The Golden Stars netted their goal in the sixth minute of play following a counter-attack initiated by Khuat Van Khang and finished by Quoc Viet, who fired a stunner into the goal from 20 meters out.

Australian goalkeeper Jack Warshawsky dove for the shot but failed to make the save. 

Australia, the 2010 Asian Cup runners-up, spent the rest of the first half looking for an equalizer, but fell short despite maintaining possession for 67 percent of play.

Passes made inside the box by full-back Joshua Rawlins were blocked by defender Le Nguyen Hoang and close-range headers by striker Gabriel Popovic failed to defeat Vietnamese goalkeeper Cao Van Binh.

Vietnam maintained their stamina throughout the second half, making several attacks on goal, though all failed to hit the mark. 

Australia, meanwhile, had one on-target attempt during the entire second half, but they were unable to equalize.

With three points in Group B, Vietnam head into their upcoming matches against Qatar and Iran hoping to maintain their momentum.

The 2023 Asian Cup kicked off in Uzbekistan on Wednesday and will last until March 18. 

There are 16 teams competing in the tournament. 

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