Right in the first 5 minutes of the first half, Vietnam had two goals thanks to Minh Tri and Chau Doan Phat.
Excited by the lead, Vietnamese players opted for attacking, forcing the opponents to choose "power-play". The fast-paced match continued with both sides trying to assert dominance with Panama’s resilience helping them draw level before the break.
Panama held the upper hand when the match resumed, forcing Vietnam to defend but as the clock ticked away, the Southeast Asian side adopted a more aggressive approach which paid off when Nguyen Van Hieu beat keeper Jorge Hernandez in the 26th minute.
The 3-2 win has opened up chances for Vietnam to advance forward. The team will face the Czech Republic on September 21 in the last game of group D./.
VNA/VNP
