HANOI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam beat the Philippines 2-1 in the second leg of semifinals here on Thursday, lifting the total score to 4-2, advancing to the finals of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship after 10 years of waiting.
Within the last seven minutes of the semifinal match at the 40,000-seat My Dinh National Stadium in Vietnam's Hanoi capital, three goals were made at an interval of three minutes.
In the 83rd minute of the game, latching onto a horizon pass from Vietnamese midfielder Phan Van Duc, Vietnamese young star Nguyen Quang Hai delivered a powerful low shot, scoring the opening goal.
Three minutes later, newly-substituted Vietnamese striker Nguyen Cong Phuong tactfully tore down the Philippines'defense, passing through three defenders to face the Filipino goalie in the box to score the second goal for the hosts.
Nearly all fans in the stadium as packed as sardines, with the strong presence of Vietnamese people, including Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stood up, cheering loudly.
In the 89th minute, Filipino player James Younghusband netted the consolidation goal for his team from close range seconds after a corner kick.
"Vietnam has entered AFF Championship finals after 10 years of absence. That is a worthy rewards for fans and footballers," Vietnam's coach Park Hang-seo from South Korea said at the post-match press briefing.
Vietnam will clash Malaysia on Dec. 11 in the first leg of the finals in Malaysia and on Dec. 15 in the second leg in Vietnam.
The AFF Championship is a biennial football competition organized by the AFF, accredited by FIFA and contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia. The 10 teams in the tournament are divided into two groups of five, with each team playing two home and two away fixtures. Enditem
