U-19s draw Malaysia 1-1 in opener

Vietnam failed to secure three points in the opening match of the Sport Newspaper International U-19 Championship after drawing Malaysia 1-1 in Hanoi yesterday.
Nguyen Van Quyet put the hosts ahead early in the game at Hang Day stadium but let the Malaysians claw their way back into the game in the second half.
The two teams are both without a number of key players but are still seen as the tournament favourites in a field that includes Thailand and Laos.
In the other match later yesterday at Hang Day, title contenders Thailand defeated Laos 3-2.
Vietnam went one up in the ninth minute after Quyet scored after receiving a well-timed pass from Chu Ngoc Anh, and they kept up the pressure on the visitors until the break.
The second half was a different story however, even though the Malaysians were down to ten men after A Aminuddin was sent off for a bookable offence late in the first half.
The change in Malaysia’s fortunes followed some positional adjustments by Rajagobal Krishnasamy, who also sent Mohammed Irfan and Giovanda onto the field.
The substitutes reinvigorated the Malaysian side, co-ordinating well with their teammates. The additional pressure on the Vietnamese defence, which lacked concentration, paid off when the Malaysians were awarded a free-kick in the 76th minute just outside the 16.5m box. A spectacular curving kick by Irfan sailed over the Vietnamese defence, leaving keeper Thanh Nam clutching at air.
Despite a last-ditched effort by Vietnam to regain the lead, National U-19 Championship top-scorer Le Duc Tai failed to find his best form.
Adding to the home team’s woes, three minutes from time Minh Thong hit the post after Tan Dat curved the ball in from the midfield.
Vietnam next face Thailand which are the odds-on candidates for the championship as most of the team’s members won the silver medal at the Vietnam U-21 Open tournament last year despite being aged eighteen or under at the time.
The winning team will be given a cash prize of US$3,000.
The two runners-up will receive $2,000 and $1,000 respectively, while the winner of the fair-play category will be awarded $500.