Khuất Văn Khang challenges for the ball. The 19-year-old scored Việt Nam's fourth and final goal on his national team debut. Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

HCM CITY — Despite struggling to convert their chances in the first half, three second-half goals helped Việt Nam ease past Singapore the opening game of a friendly tournament in HCM City on Wednesday (September 21).

The hosts had the visitors under the cosh from kick-off, cheered on by the enthusiastic fans inside Thống Nhất Stadium in HCM City.

The Vietnamese side controlled the game well and spent most of the opening half an hour on the attack, but the back of the net alluded them.

That was until the 37th minute, when Nguyễn Văn Quyết gathered the ball after a mistake from the away side in the middle of the park.

Quyết controlled the ball well and took it up to the edge of the box, unleashing a powerful shot that left the Singapore keeper no chance of stopping.

The Vietnamese side went into the break a goal to the good but no doubt wishing they had converted more of their dominance into goals.

The second half started much the same as the previous had ended, with Việt Nam setting the tempo and forcing the Singapore side to sit deep in defence to keep them at bay.

In the 50th minute, Hồ Tấn Tài whipped the ball in from the from right wing. Nguyễn Thành Nhân was waiting on the other end to volley the ball into the back of the net.

With a two goal cushion, the home team took their foot off the gas, letting the visitors move the ball around the park but keeping them at bay.

Tài found the goal once more in the 71th minute, again from an aerial delivery, this time courtesy of Phan Văn Đức.

In the 84th minute, Phạm Đình Duy slipped passed his marker on the left wing. He tried to cross the ball into the box but was blocked by Singapore’s center-back Hariss Harun.

However, Khuất Văn Khang was there to steal the ball, putting the nail in the coffin from five yards out.

It was the icing on the cake for the 19-year-old making his senior debut, despite not having played a match in the V-League.

The match ended 4-0 to Việt Nam. VNS