At Rajamangala stadium, Vietnam secured a 2-1 victory over Laos in their SEA Games 33 opener. Nguyen Dinh Bac opened the scoring for Vietnam in the 28th minute with a close-range tap-in. However, five minutes later, Douangvilay equalized for Laos from a well-executed corner kick. Dinh Bac then completed his brace with a left-footed shot inside the penalty area in the 60th minute, sealing the win for Vietnam.

Coach Ha Hyeok-jun reflected on the match at the post-match press conference, stating, “‘We lacked 2% for a draw, even though we prepared diligently and played according to our plan. Vietnam played with good tactics, but we focused and prepared carefully. Despite that, they remain a strong team’.”

Coach Ha Hyeok-jun attended the press conference after Laos’ 1-2 loss to Vietnam in their opening match of Group B at SEA Games 33. *Photo: Duc Dong*

Laos’ second conceded goal sparked controversy. After Dinh Bac scored, assistant referee Sanjar Shayusupov immediately raised his flag, signaling offside. Mr. Shayusupov appeared to penalize Nguyen Quoc Viet for jumping to avoid the ball while in an offside position, potentially obstructing the goalkeeper’s view. Both coach Ha Hyeok-jun and Kim Sang-sik received yellow cards for excessively protesting the referee’s decision in defense of their team.

Ultimately, the head referee allowed the goal after consulting with the assistant referee. Coach Ha expressed his confusion regarding the decision, stating, “‘I do not understand why that goal was allowed. But ultimately, we still abide by the referee’s decision’."

Despite the loss, Laos’ dream of advancing in the tournament remains alive. They maintain hope if they can defeat Malaysia on 6/12, also at Rajamangala stadium. Coach Ha indicated that the team would not make any special preparations for the upcoming match. He explained, “‘The team will train as usual, recover well, and play against Malaysia as they did against Vietnam’."

Hieu Luong