Vietnam create another shock to become one of the four strongest U23 teams in the continent at the moment. (Credit: AFC)

Vietnam was not as highly rated as Iraq U23, as of their disadvantage in height and physical strength, coach Park Hang-seo’s players proved their strong determination to create consecutive surprises.

This is a deserved win for the Vietnamese squad as they had consistently fought back and played courageously to ease the pressure in the 120 minutes against Iraq. They tied 3-3 after overtime and later ended up 5-3 during the suspenseful shootout to wrap up the thrilling match.

Speaking after the dramatic win, Vietnam’s head coach Park said that this victory is to all football supporters in Vietnam. The Korean coach confirmed that Vietnam U23 won the match and he was not the least bit surprised. "I always thought that my players could win. They always believe that and today they proved their ability. We had team spirit and the determination of the players who will never stop until the final whistle."

Iraq head coach Abdulghani Shahad said that he could not have anticipated the match result: "I was very surprised by the performance of Vietnam U23, but they deserved the win. I would like to apologise to the Iraqi fans and take the responsibility for this defeat."

Vietnam play well to defeat former champions Iraq 5-3 in a penalty shootout after an extraordinary 3-3 draw following extra-time. (Credit: Fox Sports Asia)

Immediately after the dramatic clash, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a congratulatory letter to the team. This is the second letter from the head of government within the past few days, in which he said that the courage, willpower and bravery of the Vietnamese people resulted in the meaningful victory. This victory is the pride of Vietnamese sports in general and for Vietnam football in particular.

He expressed his hope that the team would uphold the spirit of solidarity, discipline and determination to play well in the semi-final against Qatar and firmly step into the final match.

Late Saturday, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien sent a letter to the team.

The semi-final berth also earned Vietnam an additional bonus. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Vietnam National Olympic Committee decided to reward them VND1 billion. The Vietnam Football Federation also affirmed that it would present them VND1 billion after such an impressive victory.

Park’s side also received great praise and congratulations from regional media and football fans for their resounding results in China.