Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia got off to a winning start in their AFC U20 Futsal Championship 2019 ASEAN Zone Qualifiers with a 1-0 win over Myanmar, while Vietnam and Indonesia played to a 3-3 draw on Wednesday.
The ASEAN Zone has a total of five teams - Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam- and will play in a league format wherein the top three teams will qualify for the Finals.
MYANMAR 0-1 MALAYSIA
Bangkok: Muhammad Ekmal Shahrin's goal at the half-hour mark steered Malaysia to a 1-0 win over Myanmar at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
The victory placed Malaysia on top of the standings and took them closer to making a second appearance in the Finals next year.
In the previous edition, also hosted by Thailand, both Malaysia and Myanmar failed to reach the knockout stage after finishing fourth in Group A and C respectively.
Malaysia will play 2017 semi-finalists Thailand, while Myanmar play Vietnam in their next matches.
VIETNAM 3-3 INDONESIA
Vietnam came back from a goal down twice to salvage a 3-3 draw with Indonesia.
The scoreline was reflective of their first meeting in the 2017 edition, where they also played to a draw, both finding the back of the net once.
However, the pressure was on Indonesia to perform after their quarter-final exit last year, and the young Garudas wasted little time in exerting dominance with Muhammad Rizki Xavier giving them the lead within the first minute of the match.
Vietnam were persistent despite conceding the early goal, and their hard work paid off 10 minutes later when Dao Minh Quang scored the equaliser, before Nguyen Huynh Thanh Huy placed them in front with his goal on 14 minutes but Indonesia were level going into the break, courtesy of Muhammad Sanjaya’s effort.
Five minutes into the second half, Indonesia were ahead once again with Muhammad Syaifullah’s goal, but Vietnam would have the final say as they equalised once again a minute later.
Photos: Football Association of Thailand
Source: the-afc.com