Vietnam Football Team turned grouped withinside the Qualifying Second Round Group G with three different Southeast Asian rivals: Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, alongside the United Arab Emirates. The Vietnamese Football Team commenced with a 0-0 away draw over Thailand earlier than defeating Malaysia 1–zero at domestic, after which they accomplished a 3–1 away win in opposition to Indonesia.
In November 2019, Vietnam confronted the United Arab Emirates on domestic soil in tries to interrupt a 12-yr winless streak to the opponent. In spite of going through warfare withinside the early mins, a crimson card to the UAE gave the Vietnamese an advantage. They sooner or later controlled to conquer the Emirates 1–zero.
Then, Vietnam moved to an exciting come across in opposition to neighbor and fellow powerhouse Thailand at domestic, wherein each group performed in some other goalless draw in a suit with an important Akinfeev-penalty like store through Đặng Văn Lâm and disallowed Vietnamese desires, to foster Vietnam’s pinnacle function withinside the Joint World Cup/Asian Cup qualifying Group G.
However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam turned into pressured to play all their closing qualifying 2d-spherical video games withinside the United Arab Emirates. In this marketing campaign, Vietnam suffered an excellent lack of key players because the midfield soul Đỗ Hùng Dũng suffered from extreme damage in 2021 V.League 1 that precipitated him 6-months of recession, at the same time as exceptional goalie Đặng Văn Lâm, because of a surprising incident associated with COVID-19 in his Japanese membership Cerezo Osaka, couldn’t come to the countrywide group in Dubai, the important thing midfielder Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, after struggling a competitive address from an Indonesian participant withinside the twentieth minute of the primary suit, needed to pass over the relaxation of the qualifying 2d spherical.
Nevertheless, regardless of such an excellent loss, Vietnam’s marketing campaign in UAE turned into a marvelous success. Vietnam Football Team pounded Indonesia four–zero and hung on to a 2–1 win in opposition to Malaysia. On the remaining suit day, Vietnam battled it out in an exciting come across in opposition to hosts, UAE. After trailing 3–zero, an overdue surge withinside the very last 10 mins added two desires to the scoresheet for Vietnam.
However, it wasn’t sufficient because the suit ended 3–2 in favor of the UAE. Despite dropping, however, with Australia defeated Jordan 1–zero withinside the decisive recreation of organization B and later Saudi Arabia beating Uzbekistan 3–zero withinside the decisive recreation of organization D, Vietnam formally claimed its price tag into the 0.33 and very last spherical of the World Cup qualifiers for the primary time ever, and automated qualification to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China, after getting into as one of the five exceptional runner-ups, the second one Southeast Asian kingdom after Thailand to gain the feat.
In the 0.33 spherical, Vietnam turned into drawn into organization B alongside Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Oman, to whom Vietnam completely misplaced withinside the head-to-head record. The group performed exceptionally in each suit; however, because of struggling even extra lack of key players, Vietnam turned into not able to gain an unmarried factor after the primary seven video games. After the heavy zero–four away loss in opposition to Australia in Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on 27 January 2022, Vietnam turned into formally removed from the World Cup, which marked seven suits of defeat. However, simply five days later, it became the primary ever group from Southeast Asia to win a suit withinside the very last spherical of the World Cup qualifiers by beating China 3–1 at domestic on 1 February 2022, which coincided with the Lunar New Year’s Day in Vietnam and China.
The win turned into additionally the primary-ever win from a Southeast Asian group in opposition to China in a reliable, aggressive suit in sixty-five years, while Indonesia beat China 2–zero withinside the 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group accomplished some other ancient bring about the remaining qualifying suit with a 1–1 draw in opposition to hosting Japan in Saitama Stadium 2002 on 29 March, marking the primary time ever that Vietnam did now no longer lose in opposition to Japan in view that its reintegration to worldwide football.
Nonetheless, Vietnam simplest earned four factors overall after ten suits of the 0.33 spherical (1 win, one draw, eight losses) and completed bottom, failing in opposition to all groups on this draw, however, finishing up with an ancient 3–1 win over China and a draw in opposition to Japan withinside the very last suit.
