SEA Games 33 Men’s Football Semifinal: Scoring 2 goals in 3 minutes, U22 Vietnam advances to the Final
The excellent personnel adjustments in the second half helped U22 Vietnam play explosively. As a result, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team defeated U22 Philippines 2-0, thereby earning a well-deserved spot in the SEA Games 33 final.
17/12/2025 10:26:42
Compared to the victory over U22 Malaysia in the group stage, U22 Vietnam made only one change in the starting lineup, with midfielder Xuân Bắc replacing Thái Sơn. It’s understandable that Coach Kim Sang Sik nearly kept the same team, as that lineup had helped U22 Vietnam play good attacking football and defeat Malaysia. However, U22 Philippines proved to be very formidable. Coach Garrath McPherson’s team entered the match with great confidence, calmly organizing their play and implementing a disciplined style of defense combined with quick counterattacks.
In the first 45 minutes, U22 Vietnam tirelessly organized attacks to put pressure on U22 Philippines’ half. Counterattacks from the wings continued to be a strength of Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team. However, U22 Philippines also possessed very good wingers such as Monis Alex and Dymnyck Dylanqua, creating intense battles that made U22 Vietnam’s overlapping runs very difficult. U22 Philippines demonstrated how well they organized their defense, remaining unscored upon after the group stage. Against U22 Vietnam, Leddel River showed even greater discipline and organization, playing very focused, marking opponents effectively, and appearing at the right moments to limit shooting angles or resolve penetrating situations into the 16.5-meter area of U22 Vietnam’s attackers.
It can be seen that in the first half, Đình Bắc was guarded very closely, so he didn’t have any truly dangerous shooting chances. Viktor Lê and Văn Khang had opportunities to approach the U22 Philippines’ goal, but when they lifted their legs to shoot, the defenders quickly closed in, making it difficult for U22 Vietnam’s shooters to execute their shots effectively. As a result, goalkeeper Nicholas Guimares did not have to make many difficult saves.
At the start of the second half, Coach Kim Sang Sik brought striker Thanh Nhàn onto the field to replace Viktor Lê. This adjustment aimed to make U22 Vietnam’s attack more unpredictable. In reality, Đình Bắc and his teammates created stronger pressure on U22 Philippines’ 16.5-meter area. Đình Bắc continued to push forward and make daring runs to stretch the opponent’s defense. Meanwhile, on the left wing, Phi Hoàng had more space to dribble solo, causing the right side of U22 Philippines to become paralyzed. However, the overwhelming pressure from U22 Vietnam eventually caused the seemingly solid defensive system to break apart piece by piece.
In the 89th minute, Đình Bắc tirelessly fought for the ball in U22 Philippines’ penalty area before passing it out to Phi Hoàng, who delivered a precise cross, creating a scoring opportunity for Văn Thuận to jump high and head the ball, breaking the deadlock for his team. Not stopping there, in stoppage time, Thanh Nhàn added a touch of flair to Coach Kim’s substitutions with a beautiful curling free kick from the left side, placing the ball into the far corner and sealing the 2-0 victory for U22 Vietnam.
This hard-fought but well-deserved victory has taken U22 Vietnam to the final of the 33rd SEA Games.
