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There were few spectators at Aleppo International Stadium
and hosts Syria played in low spirits but Vietnam were still
the underdog.
The bigger Syrians had more scoring chances than Vietnam but
neither teams failed to capitalize.
Top striker Le Cong Vinh received the second yellow card and
left the field 20 minutes from full time after the referee
ruled that Vinh had played the ball with his hand.
The Vietnamese team were put in a difficult position after
Vinh’s departure but they kept the opponents at bay until
the final whistle.
With one point from the draw, Syria now has 10 points and
has become the first team from Group D to qualify for the
Asian Cup finals in Qatar in 2011.
Vietnam with four points is still in third place, two points
adrift of second-placed China.
In the final two matches of the qualifying round, Vietnam
will play Lebanon away and China at home.
If China can beat Lebanon on Sunday, it will move forward
with five points clear of Vietnam and make it very hard for
the current hosts because only the best two teams from a
group can qualify for the finals in Qatar.
Source: Thanh Nien |
