The glory of the SEA Games belongs to Vietnam's U22 team.
Defying the opposing wind and overcoming fierce waves, Vietnam's U22 team put on a "legendary" display in one of the most exciting SEA Games football finals ever. This was where Vietnamese courage and willpower truly shined.
The men's final was a fitting battle between two great rivals, a true "Southeast Asian derby." The first 90 minutes told two opposite stories. The Thai team took an early 2-0 lead and almost ended the match in the first half. But Vietnam’s resilience and Coach Kim Sang Sik’s strategic substitutions flipped the game in the second half. With some fortune, we could have finished everything in regular time…
It can't be said that Vietnam’s U22 played poorly in the first half. For the first time since taking charge of the Vietnamese team, Coach Kim Sang Sik kept the starting lineup unchanged from the semi-final. Vietnam approached the match cautiously, maintaining tight ball control and high pressing. This was a sensible strategy for a prestigious gold medal match played away from home. It was also a familiar approach for teams coached by Kim, where the first half is never the time to explode offensively.
Although we anticipated difficulties playing against Thailand’s U22 on their home turf, Vietnam was still surprised by the opponent’s highly aggressive approach. Just in the 2nd minute, Thailand created a dangerous chance with a quick acceleration down the left flank and a cross cutting across goalkeeper Trung Kiên’s goal. It was a sign of a storm coming from the home team.
Showing no caution, Thailand pushed their formation forward early, continuously pressuring the midfield with short and long passes played calmly in their usual style. These relentless attacks broke through the midfield defensive line anchored by central midfielders Xuân Bắc and Quốc Cường. The pressure paid off at the 20th minute when Quốc Cường committed a foul in the center, allowing the leading scorer Yotsakon to execute a beautiful free kick over the wall to open the score.
In a decent match, conceding an early goal unsettled Vietnam’s U22 spirit. For about 10 minutes after the goal, we couldn’t keep possession or launch attacks and were constantly vulnerable to conceding again. At the 31st minute, Thailand scored their second goal from a quick counterattack with a single pass when Seksan fired a sharp shot from outside the 25-meter box that beat goalkeeper Trung Kiên.
Vietnam’s U22 team claimed the title through sheer courage and an extremely impressive fighting spirit. Photo: Tuấn Phạm
Falling behind 0-2 so early in a final was an unpredictable scenario. Everything seemed on the verge of collapse. But Coach Kim Sang Sik acted promptly. Before halftime, he substituted midfielder Quốc Cường, who appeared overwhelmed by the match intensity, with Thái Sơn to control the game tempo. Thanks to this, although we didn’t create better chances, Vietnam was no longer overwhelmed and avoided conceding further. At the start of the second half, Coach Kim introduced his strategic players Thanh Nhàn and Văn Thuận.
The match immediately turned around. At the 48th minute, receiving a through ball from a teammate, Đình Bắc broke free forcing goalkeeper Sorawat to foul him. Đình Bắc calmly converted the penalty, narrowing the score to 1-2. Energized, Vietnam accelerated the game pace, causing Thailand’s U22 team to become disorganized. Losing control, Thailand’s defense made a mistake at the 60th minute: from a corner free kick, defender Waris scored an own goal under pressure from Vietnamese players inside the penalty area.
The second half was a complete reversal. After the disappointments of the first half, Vietnam’s explosive play and smooth operation to an almost unbelievable degree reflected the typical style of teams under Coach Kim Sang Sik.
Thailand’s U22 team was no longer themselves; they only chased after Vietnam’s wing attacks. We had three great chances to increase the score: one one-on-one with goalkeeper by Đình Bắc, a header that hit the post by Hiểu Minh, and a close-range volley by Thanh Nhàn in the 89th minute that the goalkeeper saved. Vietnam should have sealed the match within regular time.
But the regret was short-lived. Six minutes into extra time, three substitutes combined to create a goal. Thái Sơn passed to Văn Thuận, who calmly controlled the ball in the penalty area. Vietnam’s number 10 shot low, goalkeeper Sorawat parried, but Thanh Nhàn rushed in quickly to score the rebound, making it 3-2. That was the "golden" goal that decided the final score.
Vietnam had never won an official U23 match on Thai soil before. The most recent and closest victory was eight years ago at the M-150 Cup friendly tournament, which marked the beginning of Coach Park Hang Seo’s era.
However, in 2025 alone, Coach Kim Sang Sik has defeated Thailand twice at Rajamangala Stadium. From the senior national team to the U22s, from Nguyễn Xuân Sơn’s injury to conceding two goals in the first half yesterday, all were overcome by the red-shirted boys with extraordinary courage and indomitable will.
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