South Korean fans showed dissatisfaction with their U22 squad and brought up Vietnam U22 before the two teams face each other in the last round of the Panda Cup.
In the second round of the 2025 Panda Cup, South Korea U22 delivered a forgettable performance as they had to endure a defeat against the host nation China. This result caused the Korean team to lose their top spot to China, making the group standings more unpredictable than ever.
Watching their team’s display, Korean fans expressed frustration with the players. Most opinions were surprised by coach Lee Min Sung’s squad showing a weak performance against China, a team that had lost their opening match to Vietnam.
Meanwhile, some fans also surprisingly voiced support for Vietnam U22, South Korea’s opponent in the final match. These supporters believe coach Đinh Hồng Vinh’s team will defeat South Korea U22, ending the Panda Cup with a disappointing record for the Koreans.
As for Vietnam U22, the team put in a strong effort against Uzbekistan’s youthful squad. However, conceding an early goal affected their morale somewhat, and despite fighting back hard afterward, coach Đinh Hồng Vinh’s team accepted a final 0-1 loss.
Despite this defeat, Vietnam U22 still has a chance to win the Panda Cup. After the second round, Vietnam U22 ranks third with 3 points, tied with the other three teams but behind China (+1) and South Korea (+0) on goal difference, while ahead of Uzbekistan (-1).
Therefore, if Vietnam U22 achieves a favorable result against South Korea in the final round, they could create a surprise in the group, providing a perfect warm-up ahead of SEA Games 33.