Vietnam’s U19 squad booked a berth in the International Under-21 Football Tournament finals Friday, beating Singapore 6-5 in penalty kicks after a goalless draw.

The older Vietnamese squad looked set to advance after leading China twice in the match, but poor defense in the final minutes cost them big and they went home with their heads down.

The Vietnamese had taken the lead with a Thanh Nam opener just after seven minutes but China equalized the score 10 minutes later with a goal by Zhang Xizhe.

The home team continued to attack and found several chances, none of which found their way to the back of China’s net.

After the break, the hosts came out even more determined and their efforts were rewarded with a second goal when Van Hieu turned in a Thanh Nam pass midway through the half.

But China launched a fierce counterattack, applying pressure across the pitch. The tension was too much for Nhat Tan, who scored an own goal to make it 2-2 for China 10 minutes from time.

The game looked set to go to a penalty shootout until Vietnamese goalkeeper Anh Hoang failed to hold on to the ball in the final minutes and Xinli took the chance to earn a win for China.

Though considered the underdogs against Singapore, the U19s, who replaced Iran after the reigning champs withdrew just days before kickoff, played confidently and put the rivals under constant pressure at Go Dau Stadium in Binh Duong province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City.

They created plentiful scoring chances and came close several times but failed to convert even in the final 30 minutes after Bin Azmi of Singapore was given a straight red card for a deliberate tackle.

The younger Vietnamese squad will face China in the finals on Sunday in what looks set to be a difficult match for the hosts as they lost 3-4 to the northern neighbors in the group stage.

Reported by Trung Duong