'Big break' from the 38th minute of the second half when defeat seemed certain... 'Four-goal carpet bombing'... South Korea U-17 stages a stunning 4-1 comeback to claim top spot in Group C

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korea U-17 national football team poured in four goals in the final moments of the match to secure a thrilling comeback victory against Vietnam.

Under the guidance of head coach Kim Hyun-jun, the U-17 national team defeated Vietnam 4-1 in the second group stage match of the '2026 U-17 Asian Cup' Group C at King Abdullah Sports City Pitch Future C in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 1 a.m. on the 11th (Korean time).

After drawing 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first match, South Korea moved to the top of the group with four points (one win, one draw) thanks to today's victory.

In this tournament featuring 16 teams, the teams are divided into four groups of four for the group stage, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the round of 16. The top eight teams will earn tickets to the U-17 World Cup to be held in Qatar.

In the early stages of the match, South Korea dominated possession and led the attack. Vietnam, which lowered its defensive line to counterattack, recorded the first shot of the game in the 6th minute of the first half. Nguyen Van Duong broke through to the left side of the penalty box and took a shot, but it came to nothing.

Although dominating the match, South Korea struggled to take shots until the 20th minute of the first half. Jung Ha-won delivered a cross from the left flank, which Nam I-an quickly redirected with a header, but it missed the left side of the goal. One minute later, Jung Ha-won took a long-range shot from a distance, but it was poorly struck and lacked power.

South Korea continued to increase its possession and attempt attacks until the middle of the first half but failed to create any significant chances. Meanwhile, Vietnam, which had an advantage in physique and speed over South Korea, effectively blocked attacks with an organized defense.

South Korea fell victim to Vietnam's counterattack. In the 32nd minute of the first half, during a Vietnamese counterattack, Le Si Bach scored the opening goal.

Afterwards, South Korea maintained high possession but struggled to break through Vietnam's lowered defensive line. Instead, they faced moments of instability due to Vietnam's intermittent counterattacks. The first half ended with South Korea trailing 0-1.

In the early second half, South Korea missed a crucial equalizing opportunity. In the 6th minute of the second half, Jung Ha-won connected a pass from a teammate inside the box with an immediate non-stop shot, but the Vietnamese goalkeeper dove to make a save.

The match continued in a similar pattern until the middle of the second half. Although South Korea continued to attack and maintain possession, they were blocked by Vietnam's organized defense and failed to create decisive chances.

Struggling against Vietnam's counterattacks was also similar. In the 21st minute of the second half, Namgung Jun, who stopped a Vietnamese counterattack with a tackle, received a yellow card.

The most threatening moment for South Korea in the second half came in the 24th minute, but it did not lead to a goal. Jung Ha-won's sharp header was again saved by the Vietnamese goalkeeper, leaving a sense of regret.

South Korea finally scored the equalizing goal in the late stages of the second half. In the 38th minute, they earned a free kick from the arc circle, and An Sun-hyun stepped up as the kicker. An Sun-hyun skillfully curled the ball with his right foot into the net.

Momentum shifted to South Korea, and three minutes later, they scored the go-ahead goal. Nam I-an connected a ball that deflected off a Vietnamese player inside the box with an immediate shot, sending it into the net.

South Korea's decisive goal, which completely caught Vietnam off guard, was scored. In the 43rd minute of the second half, An Ju-wan shook the defense inside the box and successfully scored South Korea's third goal with a powerful right-footed shot.

With Kim Ji-woo's fourth goal added during stoppage time, South Korea secured a perfect 4-1 comeback victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.