Vietnam's dominance in Southeast Asian youth football is evident in its record against regional rival Thailand. Over the past eight years, since 2017, Vietnam has played 22 matches against Thailand's U17, U20, and U23 teams, suffering only one defeat. This singular loss occurred in the U16 Southeast Asian Championship semi-final in Indonesia, where Thailand defeated Vietnam 2-1 on 1/7/2024. In the remaining matches, Vietnam recorded 11 wins and 10 draws, scoring a total of 28 goals while conceding 12.

This performance underscores the superiority of Vietnam's youth football development compared to its long-standing rival in recent years.

Thai players collapse after their 2-3 comeback loss to Vietnam in the SEA Games final at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, on the evening of 18/12. *Photo: Duc Dong*

The U23 level highlights Vietnam's strong record. The last time Vietnam's U23 team lost to Thailand was a 0-3 defeat in the SEA Games 29 group stage in Malaysia on 24/8/2017. Since then, the team has remained undefeated in 10 encounters against Thailand, securing 6 wins and 4 draws. During this period, they scored 17 goals and conceded 8. This impressive streak includes three significant finals: the 2022 U23 Southeast Asian Championship, SEA Games 31, and SEA Games 33.

Vietnam's U20 team boasts an even longer undefeated run against Thailand. Their last loss was 10 years ago, a 0-6 defeat in the U19 Southeast Asian Championship final in Laos on 4/9/2015. Since that match, Vietnam has been undefeated in 10 games against Thailand, with 6 wins, 4 draws, scoring 9 goals and conceding only 3.

At the U17 level, Vietnam maintained an unbeaten streak of four consecutive matches against Thailand, a run that concluded with the aforementioned U16 Southeast Asian Championship semi-final.

While youth teams show clear dominance, the senior national teams present a more balanced rivalry. In their last 10 head-to-head matches, both teams have each recorded three wins, four draws, and three losses. Furthermore, Vietnam and Thailand have shared the championship in the last six ASEAN Cups (formerly AFF Cup), with Thailand clinching the title four times and Vietnam two.

The recent SEA Games 33 men's football final on the evening of 18/12 further solidified the perception of Vietnam and Thailand's superior standing in Southeast Asian football. Many regional experts observed that both nations operate at a significantly higher level than other teams in the competition.

"Watching matches between Vietnam and Thailand always brings me joy," stated Singaporean expert Rhysh Rai. "These two nations have consistently produced technically skilled local players for decades, and they remain among the region's top teams."

Another Singaporean expert, Shasi Kumar, commented, "I wonder how we can reach such a level. First and foremost, we cannot compete with this intensity of play."

The SEA Games 33 final at Rajamangala Stadium on 18/12 showcased Vietnam's resilience. Thailand started the match with momentum, quickly establishing a 2-0 lead after just 31 minutes. However, the second half saw a shift. Nguyen Dinh Bac ignited Vietnam's comeback hopes with a penalty goal in the 49th minute. The score was then leveled when Thai defender Waris Choolthong inadvertently scored an own goal while attempting to clear a corner kick in the 60th minute.

The match extended into extra time, where substitute Nguyen Thanh Nhan netted the decisive goal. This secured a 3-2 comeback victory for Vietnam, earning them the SEA Games gold medal on Thai soil.

By Hieu Luong - Xuan Binh