Two goals scored by Le Cong Vinh and Nguyen Van Quyet fired Vietnam on to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Syria in their international friendly match at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on May 31.

The hosts played offensively right from the first whistle and created a number of scoring opportunities in the opening minutes.

Syria enjoyed two concrete chances in the 11th and 18th minutes but finishes by Omari and Al Mawas were not accurate nor cunning enough to be converted into goals.

Despite dominating ball possession, it was not until the 34th minute that Vietnam succeeded in beating Syrian goalkeeper Almeh, with top striker Cong Vinh heading home Thanh Luong’s beautiful left-wing pass to put the hosts in front.

Inspired by the opener, Vietnam began playing more confidently and managed to have their advantage doubled in first-half injury time. Xuan Truong made a spectacular pass to Van Quyet, who managed to sneak past a Syrian defender and goalie Almeh for an accurate shot into the empty net.

The 2-0 score remained unchanged throughout the second half despite the guests’ concerted efforts to earn a consolation.

After the match, Vietnam will have a few days off before participating in the AYA Bank Cup 2016 to be hosted in Yangon, Myanmar from June 3 to 6.

Vietnam will face Hong Kong (China) in the first semifinal, followed by the second to be played between Singapore and Myanmar. The winners will face each other in the final while the losers will play each other for third place.