"Everything showed on the field", Le Viktor said in the mixed interview zone after the match at Rajamangala stadium. "Vietnam won, which means we are better than Malaysia."

In the first half, Vietnam completely controlled the game, while Malaysia struggled defensively. On the left wing, Nguyen Dinh Bac provided two assists, leading to goals by Nguyen Hieu Minh and Pham Minh Phuc in the 11th and 22nd minutes. In the second half, coach Nafuzi Zain's adjustments helped Malaysia avoid further goals, but they could not find an equalizer.

Vietnamese midfielder Le Viktor (center) playing in the 2-0 victory against Malaysia in the final group B match of men's football at SEA Games 33, at Rajamangala stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on 11/12/2025. Photo: Hieu Luong

This victory somewhat dispelled doubts about Vietnam after their hard-fought 2-1 win against Laos on 3/12. It also helped coach Kim Sang-sik's young players achieve their goal of avenging their predecessors, following a 0-4 loss in the final qualifying round of the Asian Cup 2027 in 6.

When asked what the team did in one week to improve their play, Le Viktor stated that nothing special happened. "We analyzed our opponents thoroughly, then just went out, played our way, confidently, and won. It's that simple," Viktor shared.

In this match, the midfielder born in 2003 was in the starting lineup and created two notable scoring opportunities. In the 68th minute, he, along with Nguyen Thai Son and Khuat Van Khang, was replaced by Nguyen Cong Phuong, Le Van Thuan, and Nguyen Xuan Bac. Le Viktor expressed some regret about not scoring, but believes that if he continues to work hard every day, the goals will come.

After the final round, groups A and B determined their top two teams: Thailand and Vietnam. With the best second-place record, Malaysia (B) had 3 points, equal to Timor Leste (A), but ranked higher due to a better goal difference (+1 compared to -3). Malaysia had to hope that the match between the Philippines and Indonesia in the final round of group C would be a draw, or not have a two-goal difference, or a one-goal difference where no team scored more than three goals.

This situation led to the first semi-final pairing: Vietnam against the Philippines. This occurred because hosts Thailand were prioritized to face the team with the best second-place record, which could only be Malaysia, Myanmar, or Indonesia.

Moving forward, Vietnam will rest, recover, and prepare for the semi-final. The confidence of the Vietnamese players is improving after these victories. "We hope to prepare as well as we did for the Malaysia match," Le Viktor stated. "The next goal is to win the semi-final, then bring the gold medal back to Vietnam."

Hieu Luong