Vietnam U22 is capable of beating Malaysia.

After two matches in Group B, Vietnam U22 has the same 3 points as Malaysia U22 but is temporarily in second place due to an inferior goal difference.

The Vietnam U22 team will play their final group stage match of the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games, facing Malaysia U22 at 4 PM on December 11th (VTV,FPT Play, HTV). A victory would secure first place in the group and a ticket to the semi-finals for Coach Kim Sang-sik's team.

The men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games is almost halfway through. Unlike many previous editions, several unexpected results have occurred in the group stage, with underdog teams like Timor Leste and the Philippines defeating Singapore and Indonesia respectively. However, the contenders for the semi-finals remain strong teams from the region such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

After two matches in Group B, Vietnam U22 has the same 3 points as Malaysia U22 but is temporarily ranked second due to an inferior goal difference. However, coach Kim Sang-sik's team still has a good chance of reaching the semi-finals as the best-performing second-placed team in the group.

Vietnam U22 aims to reach the semi-finals as the top team in Group B. Photo: NGOC LINH

Following U22 Indonesia's unexpected 0-1 defeat to U22 Philippines in their opening match of the men's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games on December 8th, the U22 Vietnam team became the best-performing second-placed team in their group. As long as they avoid defeat against U22 Malaysia in their final group stage match on December 11th, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will still secure a place in the semi-finals.

The U22 Vietnam team has had some pressure eased but remains focused on achieving a perfect record in the group stage to gain an advantage in advancing further in this year's SEA Games. U22 Malaysia, on the other hand, is not highly rated, as their core consists mostly of young players from the national second division with little experience in international competitions. However, coach Nafuzi Zain's team is physically strong and good in aerial duels, as demonstrated by their resounding 4-1 victory over U22 Laos in their opening match.

The tournament regulations stipulate that the top 3 teams from each of the 3 groups and the best-performing second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals. Currently, the U22 Philippines is the first team to qualify thanks to their perfect record in Group C, while host nation Thailand leads Group A with 3 points but has one game in hand.

Considering the relative strengths and skill levels of the teams, experts predict that U22 Thailand will finish first in Group A. Even if they lose to U22 Singapore by a margin of 3 goals in their match on December 11th, the Thai team will still top the group thanks to a better goal difference. However, this is unlikely to happen under the current circumstances.

If U22 Vietnam draws with U22 Malaysia in the final group stage match, U22 Indonesia will become the "former champions" of the tournament. Furthermore, securing a place in the semi-finals as the best-performing second-placed team could also lead to U22 Vietnam facing U22 Thailand in the final. Therefore, the "Golden Star" warriors are actively training and aiming for a perfect record in the group stage to potentially face a mid-level opponent in the semi-finals, possibly U22 Philippines.

The semi-final matches of the men's football tournament at the 2025 SEA Games will take place on December 15th, before the champion is decided on the evening of December 18th, all at the Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok, Thailand).

Source: https://nld.com.vn/u22-viet-nam-du-suc-thang-malaysia-196251210212205959.htm