Southeast Asian fans: 'Vietnam U22 is a championship contender'

A 2-0 victory against the Philippines U22 secured Vietnam U22's place in the men's football final of the 33rd SEA Games on the afternoon of December 15th.

Vietnam U22 defeated the Philippines. Photo: Duy Hieu

Two goals in the 89th and 90+2 minutes by Van Thuan and Thanh Nhan against U22 Philippines helped U22 Vietnam maintain their perfect winning streak since the beginning of the tournament.

On the Southeast Asian Football Forum, many regional fans expressed their admiration for the performance of the Vietnam U22 team. One user named Siafi wrote: “Certain and effective, they are a top contender for the gold medal this year.” Another fan commented: “Vietnam may not have played beautifully, but they were very effective, showing the characteristics of a champion.”

A fan named Jun commented: “I’m a Thai fan and I’m worried about the race for the gold medal at this year’s tournament. Vietnam is a very tough team to beat.”

Many believe that the reason U22 Vietnam faced so many difficulties stemmed from U22 Philippines' defensive tactics with a large number of players behind the ball. At times, the team in blue deployed up to 10 players in their own half, organizing man-marking and aggressive pressing, forcing U22 Vietnam to wait until the final minutes to score.

Having defeated U22 Philippines, U22 Vietnam has reached the final for the third time in the last four SEA Games. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team will face the winner of the other semi-final match between U22 Thailand and U22 Malaysia on December 18th.

Vietnamese fans were enthusiastic before the match against the Philippines. On the afternoon of December 15th, the Vietnam U22 team faced the Philippines in the semi-finals of the SEA Games 33. A large number of fans arrived early at Rajamangala Stadium to cheer on the players.

Source: https://znews.vn/cdv-dong-nam-a-u22-viet-nam-la-ung-vien-vo-dich-post1611721.html