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With several key defenders absent due to injuries, Vietnam once again failed to earn their first point in the final qualification round.
Despite the home advantage, they were playing against a much stronger opponent and struggling to create real chances.
The only goal of the game was scored in the 17th minute by Junya Ito, who tapped in from a pass by Takumi Minamino.
In the 40th minute, Ito sprinted down the left flank and finished in the top corner to send the ball into the goal once again. But after five minutes of reviewing the situation on VAR, referee Hassan Mohammed noticed that the ball touched another Japanese player who was offside and did not recognize the goal.
Vietnam boosted their offense with several substitutions in the second half, but failed to change the game.
Keeper Bui Tan Truong and the entire defense line yet managed to block several strong attacks, keeping the score at 1-0 until the final whistle.
Vietnam will play Saudi Arabia in Hanoi next Tuesday. They lost 1-3 in the away game in September.
World Cup qualifiers: Vietnam 0-1 Japan
