Dramatic comeback, U23 Vietnam wins ticket to the final of U23 Southeast Asia tournament

On the afternoon of July 25, U23 Vietnam entered the semi-final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament against U23 Philippines. The confrontation is of vital significance for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team in their journey towards the goal of defending the regional throne.

U23 Vietnam started with great enthusiasm with a series of dangerous attacks in the first 15 minutes. Xuan Bac, Dinh Bac and Anh Quan threatened the U23 Philippines goal but all of their shots were inaccurate or were brilliantly blocked by the Guimaraes goalkeeper.

After a period of unsuccessful pressure, U23 Vietnam took the initiative to slow down the pace of the match. However, the unexpected turning point came in the 36th minute when the Vietnamese defense handled the throw-in uncertainly, creating conditions for Mariona to rush in and score close to the goal to open the score for U23 Philippines.

Conceding a goal, coach Kim Sang-sik's students rose up to attack. Just 5 minutes later, from a cross from Van Khang on the left wing, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac jumped high and headed the ball into the post. The ball bounced back and the Nghe An player was able to kick the ball into the roof of the net, tying the score 1-1 for U23 Vietnam.

The first half ended with a score of 1-1, in a match where coach Kim Sang-sik's students dominated but lacked precision at decisive moments.

Entering the second half, U23 Philippines proactively pushed up the squad, creating significant pressure on the U23 Vietnam field.

However, the difference is the spirit and efficiency. In the 54th minute, Phi Hoang crossed the ball accurately from the left wing for Xuan Bac to jump high and head the ball into the far corner, raising the score to 2-1. With the advantage, U23 Vietnam played tightly and controlled the game, forcing the opponent into a deadlock.

The climax was in the 90+5 minute of extra time, Rosquillo was forced to foul Quoc Viet during a sprint and received a direct red card, ending the match in a helpless way for U23 Philippines.

Convincingly defeating their opponents, U23 Vietnam has won the right to enter the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are only one match away from defending their title. The final opponent will be the winner of the semi-final match between U23 Thailand and U23 Indonesia taking place at 8:00 p.m. tonight./.