SEA Games 33: Losing 2-4 to Malaysia, the dream of winning four gold medals is in jeopardy.

The 2-4 defeat against Malaysia was not just a loss. It was the first crack in Vietnam's ambition to win four gold medals at the 33rd SEA Games – the ambition to sweep all the gold medals in men's football, women's football, men's futsal, and women's futsal.

While the picture was very bright in 11-a-side and women's futsal, men's futsal suddenly became the biggest variable: a shocking defeat on the opening day, having to continue with a packed schedule of one match a day, and facing Indonesia and Thailand in quick succession with no room for error.

Dream interpretation of eating four: Three doors open, one door stuck.

In the 11-a-side events, Coach Kim Sang Sik's team is on the right track. The Vietnam U22 team has won all their matches to reach the final and will face Thailand – their biggest rival in the region.

For the Vietnamese women's team, the opportunity to achieve the milestone of winning the SEA Games five times in a row is within reach. The message is clear: their position as the number one team in the region remains intact, and the momentum of victory is strong enough to carry the team through the most tense moments.

In women's futsal, the situation unexpectedly tilted in Vietnam's favor when Thailand – their biggest rival – was eliminated by Indonesia in the semi-finals. This opened up an opportunity for the Vietnamese women's futsal team to change the color of their medal, with a final match against Indonesia.

The low point in men's futsal: When an early advantage fails to translate into a dominant performance.

In contrast to the other three competitions, the Vietnamese men's futsal team found themselves in a chasing position. The 2-4 defeat against Malaysia came after a detail that made it even more regrettable: Vietnam had taken an early lead.

But that advantage wasn't secured by solidity. Based on the recorded events, the defense revealed "fatal flaws," and the team's mentality became a weakness precisely when resilience was needed most. In futsal, just a moment of hesitation, a lapse in concentration, is enough to change the course of the game – and Malaysia took full advantage of that.

The shock was even greater because it directly impacted the biggest goal of the men's futsal team under coach Diego Giustozzi: winning the gold medal. With no points from the opening match, all subsequent plans were immediately put at the highest risk.

A schedule of one match per day and two "mountains": A test of both physical fitness and mental fortitude.

The challenge doesn't stop at the 2-4 scoreline. The upcoming schedule is described as "extremely demanding," with one match per day, while opponents like Indonesia and Thailand await.

In this context, the Vietnamese men's futsal team needs more than just fixing mistakes. They need a complete transformation – in terms of defensive organization, the ability to withstand pressure when in a winning position, and especially the mental fortitude to play with the mindset of having to win. Otherwise, the goal of winning the gold medal will almost certainly become "impossible," and the consequence will be the shattering of Vietnam's dream of winning four trophies in football.

An overview of Vietnam's football participation at the 33rd SEA Games.

The 33rd SEA Games still has three teams racing towards the finish line. But to turn the ambition of "dominating" into a historic reality, the Vietnamese men's futsal team will have to win the hardest battle: overcoming their own instability, within the shortest possible timeframe.