On the evening of 26/9 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung, Vietnam, as the reigning ASEAN Cup champions, faced the Philippines in their opening match of Group B, first division.

As usual, Le Giang demonstrated good positioning, commanded the defense, and coordinated with his teammates, fostering a sense of security in front of the goal.

Despite frequent threats from the Philippines, Le Giang confidently neutralized attacks. He was only beaten once in the first half by a long-range shot from Randy Schneider, a midfielder playing in the Spanish first division, but the ball hit the crossbar.

Towards the end of the first half, the Vietnamese-origin goalkeeper sustained an injury after a collision with an opponent but continued to play.

In the second half, he maintained his focus under significant pressure. In the 54th minute, forward Javier Gayoso took a shot from a tight angle, but Le Giang made a brilliant diving save.

In the 90+2 minute, Rasmussen's close-range header was once again brilliantly parried away by the Vietnamese-Slovakian goalkeeper.

Under constant pressure, not only did Le Giang play well, but his defensive teammates also contributed significantly. Notably, newcomer Nguyen Adou Leygley Minh, playing as a left-sided center-back, performed maturely and thwarted many opponent chances.

In attack, Le Giang's two teammates from CA TP HCM club, Williams Minh Hoang and Ngo Dang Khoa, also played well. Minh Hoang provided the assist for Dinh Bac's lone goal in the 25th minute.

After the match, goalkeeper Le Giang pulled Minh Hoang aside, patted his teammate's chest, and then pointed to the stands where Vietnamese fans were, giving him high praise.

In their second match on 29/9, Le Giang and his teammates will face Thailand in a game that could decide the top spot in Group B.

Duc Dong (from Bandung)