Vietnamese players celebrate after winning their 2021 Futsal World Cup’s second leg playoff tie on Tuesday in Dubai. Photo courtesy of VFF
Futsal
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam earned the last Asian slot for this year’s Futsal World Cup after a 1-1 draw against Lebanon in their second leg playoff tie on Tuesday.
The aggregate score of 1-1 after two matches sent the Southeast Asian side to their second World Cup on away goals.
The second leg was a cagey, defensive affair, much like the first, though both teams had several good early opportunities but were unable to find the net.
Châu Đoàn Phát finally broke the deadlock in the 37th minute, dribbling past Ahmad Kheir El Dine before putting the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Hussein Hamdani.
Lebanon immediately focused on attacking, sending on Ali Tneich as their fifth attacking player. Tneich needed only 30 seconds to level the match with a simple close-range tap in.
The three final minutes was a nervous period for Việt Nam but they held firm in defence to seal their ticket despite Lebanon’s best efforts.
In the other playoff, Thailand beat Iraq 14-2 over the two legs to qualify.
The two ASEAN teams join Iran, Japan, Uzbekistan and Thailand in the finals, scheduled to kick off on September 12 in Lithuania. VNS
