U23 Vietnam 1-0 U23 Indonesia: Cong Phuong shines

At 8:00 p.m. on July 29, the U23 Vietnam team will face host Indonesia in the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian tournament at Bung Karno Stadium.

Right from the first minutes, U23 Indonesia caused trouble towards Vietnam's goal. Starting from a strong throw-in situation on the left wing, Van Truong did not follow closely and let Jens Raven rush in to head the ball from close range. Luck smiled on goalkeeper Trung Kien when the ball went over the bar.

In the 11th minute, the referee stopped the match to refer to the video to slow down the situation where Rayhan Hannan stepped on Khuat Van Khang's heel. When returning to the field, Mr. Pansa gave the home team's number 8 a yellow card.

In the 22nd minute, Vietnam's defense was again passive against the opponent's throw-in. Dinh Bac had to head the ball to clear Trung Kien's failed attempt to catch the ball.

After half of the first half, U23 Vietnam had 3 shots. However, Xuan Bac and Van Truong's efforts did not hit the goal.

U23 Vietnam faced many difficulties due to the host's ability to close the gap. Photo: Hai Ho.

In the 27th and 30th minutes, Indonesia continuously exploited Nhat Minh's position. Goalkeeper Trung Kien played proactively to block two opportunities from the striker duo Raven and Hannan.

In the match that decided the Southeast Asian title, coach Kim Sang-sik kept the same 11 starting players from the semi-final match against the Philippines.

Le Viktor sat on the bench to make way for Nguyen Cong Phuong, a player who had an impressive performance in the role of a right midfielder.

On the attack line, Nguyen Dinh Bac continues to receive expectations to help U23 Vietnam solve the problem of scoring goals. Player number 7 scored important goals in the last 2 matches. If he had taken better advantage of the opportunities, Dinh Bac would have had more than 2 goals.

U23 Vietnam is the king of Southeast Asia at the youth football level with 2 consecutive championships. The "Golden Star Warriors" have the opportunity to make a hat-trick of regional championships if they defeat the host in tonight's match.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has also made a strong impression at youth level over the past 3 years. They won the 32nd SEA Games (2023), reached the semi-finals of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, and the U19 team won the 2024 Southeast Asian U19 Championship. Indonesia's U17 team even drew with tough opponents like U17 Ecuador and U17 Panama at the World Cup.

In the history of U23 Southeast Asia, U23 Vietnam and Indonesia have met twice, each side winning once. In 2023, U23 Vietnam defeated Indonesia in a thrilling penalty shootout, after a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes.

List of players on the field of U23 Vietnam. Photo: VFF.

Source: https://znews.vn/u23-viet-nam-1-0-u23-indonesia-cong-phuong-toa-sang-post1572600.html