Vietnam’s chances of advancing to the next round of men’s football at the 19th Asian Games in China have been harmed after they suffered a 0-4 loss against Iran in their second group game on Thursday.

The plan to prevent first-half goals and switch to offense in the second quickly fell apart when Iran scored in the fifth minute through Arsalan Motahari’s header.

Afterward, Vietnam’s defense remained under constant pressure from Iran’s attacks.

It was not until the 26th minute that Vietnam registered their first shot on target, thanks to Bui Vi Hao.

However, Hao’s attempt was swiftly denied by Iranian goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.

The first half concluded with a score of 1-0 in favor of Iran, who held dominance in all aspects of the game.

In the second half, Iran maintained their control and added another goal by Saman Touranian, making it 2-0 in the 47th minute.

Vietnamese (red jersey) and Iranian players in action at the 19th Asian Games in China, September 21, 2023. Photo: H.D. / Tuoi Tre

Five minutes later, Iran extended their lead to 3-0 after Mehdi Mamizadeh dribbled the ball and fired a shot from outside the penalty area to beat Vietnamese goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan.

With a three-goal deficit, the Vietnamese players made efforts to seek an equalizer, but they struggled with inaccurate passes.

As the clock ran against their favor, Vietnam conceded yet another goal in the second injury minute from a close-range header by Aria Barzegar.

Iran have advanced to the next round, while Vietnam need at least a draw against Saudi Arabia in their last group stage game on Sunday to keep alive the hope of qualifying.

The 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China features a total of 40 sports and 481 events.

Vietnam dispatched a delegation of 504 participants and coaches, including 320 athletes, to the tournament.

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