Hieu Minh hospitalized

On the night of January 20th, central defender Nguyen Hieu Minh suffered a serious injury and was immediately taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia for further examination.

Hieu Minh suffered a fairly serious injury.

Coach Kim Sang-sik's team faced an early disadvantage in terms of personnel in the semi-final match against China U23. In the 30th minute, Xiaoming suffered an incident after a tackle near the end line. In an attempt to stop the opposing striker, the center-back wearing number 4 landed awkwardly, causing his knee to be subjected to a strong twisting force.

Even more concerning, Hieu Minh already had a bandage on his knee. The strong impact caused him excruciating pain, leaving him lying on the ground unable to continue playing.

The U23 Vietnam medical team immediately arrived and quickly concluded that the player was not fit to continue the match. Hieu Minh was stretchered off the field and taken directly to the hospital for further examination.

Coach Kim Sang-sik showed clear signs of anxiety as he was forced to make unplanned personnel changes. Nguyen Duc Anh was brought on as a substitute, marking the first major shake-up in the Vietnam U23 defense at this year's tournament.

Previously, the defensive lineup, consisting of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and the trio of central defenders Pham Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, and Nhat Minh, had always remained stable.

In the first half, the Vietnam U23 team faced many difficulties against the aggressive, high-pressing style of play of the China U23 team. Although not technically superior, the opposing team constantly put pressure on Vietnam, disrupting the Vietnamese players' passing combinations.

The moment Hieu Minh left the field evoked many emotions. Pham Ly Duc and his teammates went to comfort and pat their friend on the head after the accident. The 2004-born central defender couldn't hide his pain, pulling his shirt to cover his face as he was carried off on a stretcher, ending a match filled with regret for him personally.

Source: https://znews.vn/hieu-minh-nhap-vien-post1621356.html