Vietnamese player shocks by substituting goalkeeper for penalty shootout

The quarterfinals of the 2026 National U15 saw an unusual scenario where a U15 Tay Ninh midfielder stepped in as goalkeeper for penalties, helping to knock out U15 PVF.

In the match held on April 9, U15 PVF was rated higher and quickly demonstrated their strength. After several attacking phases, this team scored the opening goal in the 51st minute thanks to Nguyen Xuan Vinh. However, just 4 minutes later, U15 Tay Ninh unexpectedly equalized when Vo Anh Hao capitalized on a defensive mistake to level the score 1-1. The match thereafter became tense and no additional goals were scored in regular time, forcing both teams into a nerve-wracking penalty shootout.

Here, a highly surprising decision emerged. When entering the third penalty round, goalkeeper Tan Phuoc of U15 Tay Ninh suddenly left the goal, giving his position to captain Huu Quang. Meanwhile, Tan Phuoc himself became the penalty kick taker.

This bold decision left spectators astonished but quickly proved effective. In the third penalty round, Huu Quang successfully blocked the shot from a U15 PVF player, which was also the only missed attempt by this team.

Meanwhile, all 5 penalty shots by U15 Tay Ninh were executed successfully, including the decisive fifth-round kick by Tan Phuoc himself. Ultimately, the representative from Southeast region won 5-4 on penalties, thereby creating the biggest shock of the tournament and securing a spot in the semifinals.

In the remaining quarterfinal match, U15 SLNA continued to assert their strength by defeating U15 Becamex TP.HCM with a score of 5-3 in a high-scoring match, thereby joining the top 4 strongest teams.

The victory of U15 Tay Ninh not only surprised with the result but also left a special tactical impression, with a rare penalty shootout situation, demonstrating the boldness and resilience of this young team.