Le Van Thuan truly deserves the title of "Neymar" of Vietnam.

Despite having comfortably defeated the Philippines on their way to winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the Vietnam U22 team faced considerable difficulties when they met again in the semi-finals of the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games.

Faced with the tight defensive wall of the U22 Philippines, Coach Kim Sang-sik's team struggled to find a goal. However, everything changed at the end of the match, with the opening goal scored by striker Le Van Thuan in the 89th minute.

Van Thuan was brought on in the second half with the aim of improving the attack for the Vietnam U22 team. From a cross from a teammate, Van Thuan weaved his way into the 5.5-meter box, unexpectedly leaping high to head the ball into the net, opening the scoring. This goal shattered the morale of the Philippine players, setting the stage for Thanh Nhan's goal in the 90+3 minute, which sealed the 2-0 victory.

Vietnam U22 vs Philippines U22 - Clip:FPT Play

Le Van Thuan is one of the youngest players in the Vietnam U22 squad. The 19-year-old striker, who plays for Thanh Hoa Club, emulates the playing style of superstar Neymar, with his skillful dribbling down the wing and spontaneous finishing that catches opponents by surprise.

Having played a major role in helping the Vietnam U22 team reach the SEA Games 33 final, Le Van Thuan said that the joy of victory was a shared emotion of the whole team, and that he didn't place too much emphasis on individual goal-scoring.

Speaking about the decisive header goal, the "Neymar" of Vietnam admitted that it was a completely instinctive reaction, not part of any pre-match training plan. "For us, any player scoring a goal is something to celebrate. Football is a sport of emotion, and the U22 Vietnam team had to work very hard to achieve this victory," added Van Thuan.

Looking ahead to the final, Van Thuan affirmed that the entire team would quickly put aside their joy to focus on the ultimate goal. “Reaching the final, every team is equal, and we will try our best to win the SEA Games 33 gold medal for Vietnamese football. We go onto the field for the common goal of the whole team, and the players given the opportunity must try their best for the national flag,” Van Thuan emphasized.

The Vietnam U22 team will compete against host nation Thailand for the gold medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games at 7:30 PM on December 18th at the Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok).

Watch SEA Games 33, stand alongside the Vietnamese Sports Delegation, in its entirety on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://nld.com.vn/le-van-thuan-xung-danh-neymar-viet-nam-196251216113750961.htm