5/12: Xuan Bac suffers minor injury, Xuan Son scores a hat-trick

On December 5th, the focus of Vietnamese football revolved around two prominent pieces of news: the Vietnam U22 team confirmed that Xuan Bac only suffered a minor injury and is eligible to return for the match against Malaysia U22 on December 11th; and at the club level, Nguyen Xuan Son shone brightly with a hat-trick, helping Nam Dinh win 3-0 against Shan United in the 2025/2026 Southeast Asian Champions League.

• Xuan Bac suffered a minor injury and is continuing his recovery and treatment at the hotel.
• The Vietnam U22 team has shifted their training time to 3:00 PM at RBAC Stadium to prepare for the 4:00 PM match against Malaysia U22 (December 11th).
• Quoc Viet shared his thoughts on the team's good morale after the 2-1 victory against U22 Laos, regretting not scoring more goals.
• Malaysia U22 loses attacking midfielder Fergus Tierney as Sabah retains him.
• Thailand U22 defeated Timor Leste 6-1 and received a bonus of 500,000 baht (over 413 million VND).
• Nam Định defeated Shan United 3-0; Nguyễn Xuân Son scored all three goals.

Xuan Bac has a minor injury, leaving U22 Vietnam's personnel options more flexible.

The Vietnam U22 team received positive news as Xuan Bac only suffered a minor injury. This gives coach Kim Sang-sik more personnel options ahead of the match against Malaysia U22 on December 11th. While his teammates train normally, the midfielder will continue his rehabilitation and therapy exercises at the hotel.

Adjusting the training plan: starting at 3:00 PM to get used to the competition time.

The U22 Vietnam team's training session on the afternoon of December 4th took place at RBAC Stadium. Unlike their usual 5:00 PM training session, the team started at 3:00 PM. This adjustment shows that the 48-year-old coach wanted his players to get used to the 4:00 PM time slot of the match against U22 Malaysia. The intense sunlight helped simulate the temperature and intensity of the workout to closely resemble the actual match time.

From the training ground: Quoc Viet's positive spirit

Speaking before the afternoon training session on December 4th, Quoc Viet said that the whole team's morale was good after the opening 2-1 victory against U22 Laos, although he still felt regret about the lack of finishing efficiency: "After yesterday's match, the team's spirit is very good. However, I'm a little disappointed that we couldn't score more goals. But the coach also encouraged us, saying that the first match is always difficult, and getting 3 points is good enough."

Opponent's perspective: U22 Malaysia loses Fergus Tierney

Malaysia U22 suffered a setback when their key attacking midfielder Fergus Tierney was unable to join the squad due to being retained by his club Sabah. Tierney's absence will affect their attacking options ahead of their first two matches, especially the clash against Vietnam U22.

Statement by coach Mai Duc Chung

On the afternoon of December 4th, at the technical press conference before the group stage of the SEA Games 33, coach Mai Duc Chung highly praised the opponent and emphasized the goal of the Vietnamese women's team: "I don't consider Malaysia a weak team. They are improving quickly. We must focus on each match and the ultimate goal remains to reach the final."

Thailand U22 wins big and receives a bonus.

Following their 6-1 victory over Timor Leste in their opening match of the 33rd SEA Games, the U22 Thailand team received a bonus of 500,000 baht (over 413 million VND) from the President of the FAT, Ms. Nualphan Lamsam (Madam Pang). This gesture aimed to boost the team's morale right from the opening match.

Xuan Son shines brightly, Nam Dinh wins 3-0 away at Shan United.

The Shan United – Nam Dinh match took place at 6:30 PM on December 4, 2025, as part of the group stage of the 2025/2026 Southeast Asian Champions League. Despite playing away, the V-League representative showed superiority and won 3-0. Nguyen Xuan Son scored all three goals, capping off an explosive performance from Nam Dinh's attack.

Notable time

The overall picture shows that the Vietnam U22 team is maintaining a stable rhythm: key personnel are ready, training plans are aligned with the competition schedule, and the team is maintaining a positive spirit after the opening match. Simultaneously, Xuan Son's victory and hat-trick at the club level brought a wave of excitement to Vietnamese football on December 5th.