Vietnam U22 1-0 Malaysia: Hieu Minh shines

At 4 PM on December 11th, coach Kim Sang-sik's team led Malaysia in the final group stage match of the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games.

In the second minute, Vietnam U22 had a chance after a breakthrough effort by Dinh Bac. Inside the box, Van Khang rushed in to shoot, but the ball went wide of the Malaysian goal. Four minutes later, Quoc Cuong had a chance after a scramble in the penalty area. The shot from number 8 was not dangerous enough to beat the opposing goalkeeper.

At the same time, the Vietnamese women's team scored the opening goal against Myanmar, thus opening the door to the semi-finals of women's football. Ngan Thi Van Su shone with a dangerous header.

Shortly after the women's team delivered good news, the Vietnam U22 team also took the lead against Malaysia. In the 11th minute, Hieu Minh positioned himself perfectly, received a cross from Dinh Bac, and headed the ball from close range, beating the entire yellow-shirted defense.

In the decisive match for the top spot in Group B, coach Kim Sang-sik made several adjustments, including fielding Le Viktor, Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, and Nguyen Phi Hoang in the starting lineup.

While U22 Malaysia only needed a draw to secure first place, U22 Vietnam had to win if they wanted to control their own destiny. Coach Kim emphasized that the team spirit would be key: “I told the players that this is no longer an ordinary group stage match. We have to treat it as a life-or-death game. Winning is a mandatory task.”

More than two hours before kick-off, fans had already arrived at Rajamangala Stadium. Photo: Minh Chien.

In the men's football group stage, only the top three teams from each group advance directly to the semi-finals. The second-placed teams will compete against each other to determine the final four finalists.

Even if they can't beat Malaysia, the Vietnam U22 team still has many advantages among the second-placed teams. With just one more point, Dinh Bac and his teammates will put an end to any hopes of advancing for the Indonesia and Timor Leste U22 teams.

Assessing their opponents, Kim Sang-sik noted that the U22 Malaysia team plays aggressively, focusing on speed and tackling. However, the U22 Vietnam team has carefully studied this style of play after the coaching staff directly observed their matches.

“Malaysia is physically strong and has a sharp attacking style. But the Vietnam U22 team is well-prepared, both tactically and physically. Technical meetings show that the team is capable of controlling the match,” said the South Korean coach.

Vietnam U22's starting lineup against Malaysia U22. Photo: VFF.

Source: https://znews.vn/u22-viet-nam-1-0-malaysia-hieu-minh-toa-sang-post1610309.html