Defeating Cambodia, U23 Vietnam won a ticket to the semi-finals of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament

On the evening of July 22, the Vietnam U23 team entered the final round of the group stage of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, facing Cambodia U23. After a convincing 3-0 victory over Laos U23 in the opening match, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are expected to continue their impressive performance.

In this match, coach Kim Sang-sik made some adjustments to the starting lineup, notably the appearance of Viktor Le from the start. Despite being underestimated, U23 Cambodia entered the match with confidence when implementing a high-pressing style of play, causing many difficulties for U23 Vietnam.

Despite controlling the ball better, coach Kim Sang-sik's players had difficulty creating clear-cut chances due to the opponent's aggressive and pressing style of play. In the 20th minute, after a cross from a teammate, center-back Ly Duc jumped high to head the ball into the net of U23 Cambodia. However, the goal was disallowed because the linesman determined that he was in an offside position.

Not long after that, U23 Cambodia had a remarkable response. Player number 19, Chanvibol Davit, escaped down the left wing and crossed dangerously, but Ly Duc was able to retreat and block the opportunity.

In the 34th minute, U23 Vietnam finally made the advantage concrete. From a corner kick on the right wing by Khuat Van Khang, the ball was hung to the far post. Ly Duc, unmarked, jumped high to head the ball to open the score for U23 Vietnam.

The final minutes of the first half were quite tense with many collisions. The referee showed 3 yellow cards to U23 Cambodia. The players in blue tried to push up the formation to find an equalizer, but had difficulty against the ball control and organization of U23 Vietnam.

In the 44th minute, Quoc Viet dribbled skillfully on the right wing, passed the Cambodian defender and crossed accurately inside. Van Khang jumped high and headed the ball dangerously but could not beat goalkeeper Reth Ly Heng.

The first half ended with a temporary advantage in favor of U23 Vietnam with a score of 1-0.

After the break, U23 Cambodia pushed up their attack formation to find an equalizer. In the 46th minute, from a corner kick from the left wing taken by Lucca Lim, Rado Mon jumped high and headed the ball past goalkeeper Trung Kien, leveling the score 1-1 while the U23 Vietnam defense was helpless.

After conceding the goal, coach Kim Sang-sik quickly adjusted the personnel by bringing Dinh Bac and Thanh Dat onto the field to replace Phi Hoang and Viktor to increase the attack.

U23 Vietnam gradually regained control of the game and created some dangerous opportunities. In the 70th minute, Quoc Viet made a skillful shot from outside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Reth Ly Heng to dive to block. The ball bounced right into Thanh Dat's shot, but the midfielder wearing the number 14 shirt missed the goal in an open position, missing the chance to increase the score.

However, the continuous attacking efforts of U23 Vietnam were finally rewarded. In the 82nd minute, after a fierce fight in the middle of the field, the ball was quickly circulated to the left wing. Thanh Dat made an accurate cross for Dinh Bac to jump high and dangerously shake his head, defeating the Cambodian goalkeeper, raising the score to 2-1 for U23 Vietnam.

In the final minutes of the match, coach Kim Sang-sik's team played solidly, controlled the game well and did not allow the opponent to create any more dangerous opportunities. In the end, U23 Vietnam won 2-1, ending the group stage with a perfect record and officially winning a ticket to the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament.