Vietnam head coach Hendrique Calisto at Wednesday’s post-match press conference in Singapore

Vietnam’s football team yesterday lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout to host team Singapore in a friendly match.

The visiting team put its best players in the starting line-up in a 4-4- 2 formation.

In the first 30 minutes, Vietnam had more ball possessions than the Singapore team but couldn’t create clear scoring opportunities while Singapore launched faster and more effective attacks.

The home team took the lead after 40 minutes with a header by midfielder John Wilkinson in a mix-up in front of the Vietnamese team’s penalty box.

Vietnam equalized the score two minutes later with Vietnam’s number one striker Cong Vinh scoring from a penalty kick.

The 1-1 score lasted until the 80th minute when the Nigerian-Singaporean striker Agu Casmir regained the lead for Singapore.

The Vietnamese men didn’t lose courage and continued the fight until midfielder Tai Em evened the score at 2-2 just two minutes before the end of the 90 minutes.

But Vietnam lost the match after Phuoc Tu failed to score in the penalty shootout. Despite the defeat, the Vietnamese players pleased fans by fighting heroically until the final minute.

Yesterday’s match was the second clash in the friendly match between the two countries. The first round, played at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium, ended in a scoreless draw.

If the away goal rule – which gives goals scored by the visiting team extra weight - had been used, Vietnam would have won the match. However, the organizers asked for the match to be decided in a penalty shootout.

It was the final friendly match for the Vietnamese team before next month’s ASEAN Football Federation Cup.

It’s the 10th consecutive match that Vietnam hasn’t won since Portugal’s Hendrique Calisto took over as Vietnam’s football team head coach in April.

However, the players have been improving as the regional football championship competition nears.

In the post-match press conference, Singapore’s coach Avramovic said: “You can’t play fast at times in a certain match. However, it was true that the Singaporean players played slowly sometimes and gave Vietnam more scoring opportunities. A win in the penalty shootout was just good luck.”

Calisto said he was pleased with his players’ performance and spirits, with the side gaining in confidence. He said the team’s fighting spirit came to the fore even after falling behind twice in the match.

The coach said he was optimistic about the Vietnamese team’s chances in the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup.

Reported by Thuc Minh (from Singapore)