Vietnam had a chance to win the U22 Panda Cup after a 1-0 victory over China and a 0-1 loss to Uzbekistan. However, coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his staff viewed the tournament as a friendly in preparation for the upcoming 33rd SEA Games, thus not prioritizing results.

For the final match against South Korea, Vietnam's coach Dinh Hong Vinh opted for a significantly changed lineup, featuring many players who had not participated in the two earlier games. Notably, he introduced a new defensive trio of central defenders – Van Ha, Duc Anh, and Tuan Phong – who had not previously played together.

The Vietnam U22 team playing at the Panda Cup in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Photo: VFF

With eight changes to the squad from the previous matches, Vietnam struggled to control the game. Goalkeeper Trung Kien's goal faced continuous pressure from South Korean attacks. The Vietnamese players primarily focused on defense and counter-attacks, but their efforts yielded no significant scoring chances.

The disjointed play led to Vietnam conceding in the 32nd minute. Following a well-executed free-kick on the left wing, Kang Seong-jin delivered a cross into the box, which forward Kim Myeong-jun headed past goalkeeper Trung Kien to open the scoring.

Coach Dinh Hong Vinh made further changes in the second half, introducing six new players. However, Vietnam still failed to create any clear opportunities to equalize.

To make matters worse, in the 77th minute, Van Truong sustained a knee injury, clutching his face in pain before being stretchered off. With all substitutions already made, Vietnam was forced to play the remainder of the match with only 10 players, unable to alter the 0-1 scoreline.

Following the tournament, the team will return to Vietnam for a training camp in Vung Tau, TP HCM, as part of their preparations for the 33rd SEA Games.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is scheduled to rejoin the U22 Vietnam team after his commitments with the senior national squad's match against Laos. The U22 team is set to depart for the SEA Games on 29/12.

Starting lineups:

U22 Vietnam: Trung Kien, Van Ha, Tuan Phong, Duc Anh, Anh Quan, Thai Son, Van Truong, Van Khang, Dinh Bac, Quoc Viet, Thanh Nhan.

U22 South Korea: Hong Seong-min, Kang Min-jun, Jo Hyun-tae, Park Seung-ho, Kim Dong-jin, Kim Myung-jun, Kim Han-seo, Kang Seong-jin, Kim Do-hyun, Park Seong-hun, Shin Min-ha.

By Duc Dong