Two fierce final battles against Thailand: Handball has a golden opportunity.

Both the Vietnamese men's and women's handball teams have a chance to win the gold medal in the crucial final match against host nation Thailand on the afternoon of December 17th in Pattaya.

The Vietnamese women's handball team has a wide-open door against their arch-rival Thailand.

It wasn't difficult to see the dominance of the Vietnamese women's handball team at the 33rd SEA Games held at the Indoor Athletics Stadium in Pattaya. In the three qualifying matches, we won all three with margins ranging from 7 to 25 points. For example, we beat the Philippines 37-12 in the first match, Thailand 30-23 in the second, and Singapore 29-20 in the third. In the semi-finals against the Philippines (following the rule of the first-place team playing the fourth-place team and the second-place team playing the third-place team after the round-robin qualifying round), the Vietnamese girls continued their winning streak with a resounding 28-8 victory.

The Vietnamese girls beat Thailand in the qualifying round.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

This achievement can be seen as confirmation that Vietnamese women's handball is very strong in the region and has a wide open path to winning the gold medal. Our opponent will be the host country Thailand, who, despite some changes, have not been strong enough to pose a challenge to the Vietnamese girls since the beginning of the year. Specifically, at the Southeast Asian Championship in February, we defeated the host country Thailand 31-26. We also won 30-23 in the SEA Games 33 qualifiers, so barring any surprises, victory in the final is within our reach.

Outstanding attacking plays by the Vietnamese women's team against Thailand.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

However, in a specific match, especially a gold medal match, nothing can be predicted because many factors can influence the outcome, particularly the refereeing. Just one or two calls favoring the home team could put significant psychological pressure on the Vietnamese women's team. Therefore, despite being stronger than their opponents, before this crucial match, the coaching staff reminded and encouraged players like Lan Anh, Thanh Huyen, Anh Tuyet, Linh Trang, Hai Yen, and Thu Hue to remain calm, focused, and avoid any mistakes that opponents or referees could exploit. They had to demonstrate their composure and fighting spirit, asserting their position.

The Vietnamese women's team showed great courage against Thailand.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

Difficult, but not without hope for the men's handball team.

Four years ago, our men's team defeated Thailand to win the championship. Since handball wasn't included in the SEA Games 32, that title remains with Vietnam. However, after four years, things will change, and coach Tang Quy Minh and his teammates must be cautious because Vietnam's strongest opponent has clearly become stronger.

The men's team attacked in their match against Thailand in the qualifiers.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

They have beaten us twice before: once at the Southeast Asian Championships in February of this year, also in Thailand, with a score of 40-34, and again in the recent qualifying round, 30-25. The gap remains at 5-6 points, which is not insurmountable, but it will clearly be a significant pressure and challenge for the men's handball team to adjust, improve, and further enhance their playing style and strength in the final match.

Anticipating a breakout performance from the men's team against Thailand.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

The men's team also struggled quite a bit in their recent SEA Games matches. While they narrowly won the opening match against the Philippines 27-25 in the final minutes, the semi-final against Singapore was equally tense until the very last minute. In the qualifying round, we easily defeated Singapore 26-19, but in a knockout match, mental fortitude and concentration at crucial moments are extremely important. We sweated profusely chasing the score in the semi-final, even having three players sent off at one point. But in the end, Lieu Gia Kien, Vu Chi Linh, Tran Le Minh, Tran Thien Tam, Le Minh Thuan, Nguyen Anh Duy, and Nguyen Ngoc Hai Trieu were fortunate enough to win a nail-biting 27-25 victory!

The final match between Vietnam and Thailand promises to be fierce.

PHOTO: BUI HO HUY

That lesson forces the men's team to be extremely vigilant when they meet Thailand again in the final at 4 PM on December 17th. The opponent is stronger, but with the right strategy, strong spirit, and a bit of luck, they can certainly cause difficulties for the home team. Only the final match remains, and once the skill gap isn't too large and they've overcome the challenges of the semi-finals, hopefully the players will exude optimism, enthusiasm, and unwavering determination in the crucial match against Thailand, delivering their best and most deserving performances to bring joy to the fans.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/2-tran-dai-chien-chung-ket-nay-lua-voi-thai-lan-bong-nem-co-cua-vang-185251216214625933.htm