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In a gripping encounter at the U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals, Iraq narrowly defeated Vietnam 1-0, with a penalty by Ali Jasim proving decisive. The match, filled with intensity and drama, saw Iraq continue their journey in the tournament while Vietnam bowed out.
The crucial moment came in the 64th minute when Ali Jasim confidently converted from the penalty spot. The referee had awarded the penalty after VAR consultation confirmed that Vietnam's goalkeeper, Van Chuan, had fouled an Iraqi player during a crucial save. Despite Chuan guessing the direction correctly, Jasim's precision left no chance for the Vietnamese keeper.
Tensions heightened in the injury time as Iraq almost received a second penalty in the 90'+11 minute after another foul by Chuan. However, VAR intervened, overturning the decision due to an offside call, keeping the scoreline steady.
Vietnam, reduced to ten men in the 90'+1 minute after Nguyen Manh Hung received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Jasim, struggled to find an equalizer. This card came after a VAR review, further dampening the spirits of the Vietnamese side, who had just made a significant push to level the scores.
Iraq's tactical discipline was evident as they managed to thwart Vietnam's attempts to breach their defense, especially noticeable after Vietnam's Nguyen Ngoc Thang managed a shot in the 90'+7 minute, which did not threaten the Iraqi goal.
The match also saw both teams making multiple substitutions, with Iraq aiming to strengthen their defense and Vietnam looking for fresh legs to invigorate their attack. Despite the efforts, the Vietnamese could not convert their late game opportunities, allowing Iraq to maintain their narrow lead.
This victory sends Iraq into the semifinals of the U23 Asian Cup, a testament to their resilience and strategic play, and pushes Vietnam out of the contention for Paris Olympics.
Iraq will play Japan in the semifinals on Tuesday while Indonesia face Uzbekistan on Monday.
The three top teams of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics while the fourth-placed team will compete with African team Guinea in the playoff for the remaining slot.
U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals: Vietnam 0-1 Iraq
