At Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and UAE started cautiously. Despite their opponents' height and physical superiority, Vietnam's players did not shy away from physical challenges, competing fiercely.

In a tightly contested match, Vietnam's goal was unexpectedly threatened in the 6th minute when Saeed Almenhali controlled the ball with one touch and then powerfully struck it past Trung Kien. However, after consulting VAR, the referee disallowed the goal due to a handball by player number 10.

UAE continued to exert pressure, creating dangerous opportunities, including one shot that hit Vietnam's crossbar.

But Vietnam broke the deadlock first. In the 39th minute, substitute forward Dinh Bac, who had been on the field for 5 minutes, broke through the opposing defense, then crossed the ball for his teammate Le Phat to tap in from close range, opening the scoring.

According to Dinh Bac, before entering the field, coach Kim instructed him to play in the opponent's half, apply pressure, take the ball wide, and then cross. "We executed the tactical plan correctly. Congratulations to Phat on this goal," Dinh Bac said.

However, Vietnam's lead lasted only three minutes. French-born naturalized forward Junior Ndiaye equalized for UAE with a close-range header past Trung Kien.

In the second half, Dinh Bac once again became a tormentor for the opposition. In the 63rd minute, from the right wing, Minh Phuc dribbled past an opposing defender, then crossed into the penalty area for Dinh Bac to head the ball against the run of play into the far corner, beating goalkeeper Khaled Tawhid to make it 2-1.

Similar to when they fell behind in the first half, UAE players quickly pushed forward, pressing hard, and equalized 2-2 just two minutes later. From a cross on the left wing, captain Mansoor Al Menhali scored with a dangerous header, beating Trung Kien.

Undeterred after the 2-2 equalizer, the players continued to play cohesively, with varied combinations making it difficult for UAE's players.

Coach Kim's players played with increasing fluidity and created many opportunities, but could not finish off their opponents in 90 minutes. Towards the end of the second half, the Korean coach continuously moved to observe, planning for extra time.

Vietnam's players continued to outperform their opponents in extra time, with smooth one-touch passing. The team's efforts were rewarded in the 101st minute.

Center-back Nhat Minh skillfully dribbled past two UAE players and took a shot. The ball deflected off a UAE defender, creating a follow-up shot opportunity for Thanh Nhan, and then Minh Phuc. Minh Phuc's decisive shot went through a UAE player's legs, finding the net past a helpless goalkeeper Tawhid.

Learning from twice losing their lead in this match, after Minh Phuc made it 3-2, the players played with focus, defending resolutely, giving the opposition no clear chances. Successfully defending their one-goal lead until the end of the second half of extra time, Vietnam reached the U23 Asian semifinals for the second time, after their first appearance in 2018.

A group of excited Vietnamese fans waved flags and cheered in the stands of Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. Vietnam's players moved to that area to celebrate with the supporters.

Following the victory over UAE, Vietnam's players will have three days to prepare for the semifinal match against the winner of the Uzbekistan - China match.

Vietnam's U23 Asian 2026 semifinal match will take place at 10:30 PM on 20/1.

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Duc Dong