sport

U16 Việt Nam team celebrate coming runners up at the 2024 Peace Cup. — Photo VFF

HÀ NỘI — By defeating U16 Japan 1-0, the Việt Nam team have secured the runner-up position at the 2024 Peace Cup, an international U16 football tournament held in China.

In the tournament, Việt Nam lost their opening match against host nation China 0-4. However, a 3-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the second match boosted the Vietnamese team's confidence ahead of the final match against a strong Japanese side on Tuesday.

Japan started the final match cautiously, not pressing high up the pitch as they usually do. This allowed Việt Nam to withstand the pressure in the early stages of the game. The sole goal of the match was scored by Nguyễn Văn Bách in the 16th minute. After receiving a pass from his teammate, Bách decisively finished with his left foot, beating the Japanese U16 goalkeeper.

Việt Nam's 1-0 victory over Japan, along with their earlier win against Uzbekistan, gave them a total of six points in the tournament, securing them the runner-up position. The hosts China took the title with the same number of points but with a better goal difference.

The Vietnamese team returned home on Wednesday and are expected to gather in mid-September to prepare for the 2025 AFC U17 qualifiers, which will take place in October. VNS