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Hieu Minh smiled as his teammates expressed their gratitude. |
In a tight and tactical match against South Korea U23 in the third-place playoff of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship on the evening of January 23rd, Vietnam U23 didn't need many attacking moves to make an impact. With just one precise moment, the red-shirted team turned a rare opportunity into a decisive goal, and that goal became a meaningful message.
In the 30th minute, following an attack down the left wing, Nguyen Dinh Bac delivered a perfectly placed cross for Nguyen Quoc Viet to control neatly before unleashing a decisive shot into the top corner of the net. The South Korean U23 goalkeeper was completely helpless, and Vietnam U23 took the lead amidst a surge of emotion.
Immediately after scoring the opening goal, the Vietnamese players raised their hands to form the number 4, a gesture seemingly directed at Nguyen Hieu Minh. The young central defender suffered a torn ligament injury in the semi-final loss to China U23 on January 21st and was unable to play.
In the stands, Hieu Minh beamed with a radiant smile as he witnessed his teammates' special tribute. Sitting beside him, Pham Ly Duc, who was serving a suspension, couldn't hide his emotion and applauded in appreciation.
Tactically, the Vietnam U23 team played a defensive counter-attacking game in the first half. Despite only controlling the ball around 35%, the red-shirted team maintained discipline and effectiveness. The South Korea U23 team dominated possession but only managed two shots in the first half, with one on target – a statistic equal to that of Vietnam U23.
Source: https://znews.vn/man-an-mung-y-nghia-cua-u23-viet-nam-post1622346.html
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