HÀ NỘI — The ASEAN Football Federation U22 Championship has come to an end after a week with Indonesia beating Thailand 2-1 in the final to win the cup.

Indonesia’s road to the AFF U22 Championship Final was filled with obstacles. Garuda Muda had started the competition on a dull note, drawing both their opening matches. However, a 2-0 win yesterday in their final group game against Cambodia, along with a little help from elsewhere, allowed them to qualify for the semifinal, Foxsports reported.

Indonesia faced Thailand in the final after the War Elephants had beaten hosts Cambodia in the semifinal themselves. The reigning champions, meanwhile, had also finished runners-up in their group, winning two and drawing one of their games.

The first half ended with neither side being able to outsmart the other.

Thailand took the lead early in the second half when captain Saringkan Promsupa glanced a delightful freekick into the back of the net. Indonesia goalkeeper Awan Setho did manage to get his hand to Saringkan’s header but was unable to keep it out, Foxsports said.

Having gone behind, Indonesia hit back instantly. Sani Riski levelled the match for Garuda Muda after his long-range effort took a heavy deflection and crept past the goalkeeper, it added.

However, Indonesia weren’t done yet. Within seven minutes of going behind, they took the lead with Osvaldo Haay, who headed the ball in for his first of the competition.

Garuda Muda did have Bagas Adi sent off for them late on in the match. Despite that, they held on firmly to lift the 2019 AFF U22 Championship cup.

Việt Nam take U22 bronze medal

 Super substitute Lê Xuân Tú scored the winning goal to help Việt Nam bring home a bronze medal at the ASEAN Football Federation U22 LG Cup in Phnom Penh.

Việt Nam, fielding mainly U20 players, beat hosts Cambodia 1-0 scoring with just five minutes to go in the third-placed play-offs at the National Olympic Stadium.

Tú was on the pitch for less than a minute before he headed home after a perfect cross from the right. 

Fielding their best side, Việt Nam immediately went on the front foot.

Striker Trần Danh Trung had plenty of chances, but struggled in the final third.

Cambodia defended well, and tried to penetrate on the counter-attack.

Sin Kakada and Sin Sophanat had chances to threaten Vietnamese keeper Ye Li Nie but failed to find the target.

In the second half, Cambodia created a string of opportunities but In Sodavid and Kakada struggled to find the net while Vietnamese Lê Minh Bình’s header just missed the target.

Things changed when coach Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn put Tú on the field and the substitute scored his second his goal at the tournament.

His late goal was enough to secure third place.

“I am glad to have scored after just coming on as a substitute,” said Tú after the match. “We are improving game to game and that’s important although we did not make the final.”

"I appraise Tú’s performance today as well as my team in the whole tournament. Here we do not have best squad, some of players get injured, but we make target of entering the semi-finals. It is a pity that we failed to make the final," said coach Tuấn. — VNS