Football score: Vietnam U23 2-2 South Korea U23 (7-6 Penalty): A hard-fought victory.
Match update: Vietnam U23 2-2 South Korea U23 (7-6 Penalty Shootout), AFC U23 Asian Championship 2026, January 23rd. Fastest match report of Vietnam U23 vs South Korea U23.
Link to watch the U23 Vietnam vs U23 South Korea football match today, January 23, 2026
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Football match report: Vietnam U23 2-2 South Korea U23 today, January 23, 2026
Penalty shootout
The South Korean U23 team was the first to take the penalty.
- Round 1:Kim Tae Won took an accurate shot. Van Khang responded successfully.
- Round 2:Kang Seong Jin successfully converted his penalty. Minh Phuc's shot was accurate.
- Round 3:Lee Chan Wook completed his penalty kick. Quoc Cuong successfully converted his penalty.
- Round 4:Kim Yong Hak beat the goalkeeper. Ngoc My's shot was accurate.
- Round 5:Lee Hyeon Yong made no mistake. Nhat Minh executed it successfully.
- Round 6:Jang Seok Hwan took an accurate shot. Xuan Bac responded successfully.
- Round 7:Bae Hyun Seo's shot was saved by the Vietnam U23 goalkeeper. Thanh Nhàn's finish was accurate.
The second period of extra time has ended.
Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 drew 2-2 after 120 minutes of play. The two teams then went to a penalty shootout to determine third place in the U23 Asian Championship.
116' – Another threatening attack
Kim Tae Won received the ball inside the penalty area after a cross from South Korea U23, but his shot from a tight angle didn't pose much difficulty for Van Binh.
110' – Vietnam U23 narrowly escapes defeat.
U23 South Korea launched a quick attack through the center, Kang Seong Jin took a close-range shot but was blocked by Nhat Minh.
107' – Another aerial ball situation
South Korea U23 continued to use long balls, with Lee Hyeon Yong leaping high to head the ball from a cross from the right wing, but without success.
105' – The two teams are still undecided.
The score remained 2-2 after the first extra time period, and the Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 teams switched sides for the second extra time period.
101' – Van Binh saves the shot
Lee Tae Won's attempt inside the penalty area couldn't beat Van Binh, who comfortably caught the ball after the outside-of-the-foot shot.
96' – Van Binh makes another save
A cross from the right wing by the South Korean U23 team was headed by Kim Tae Won, but Van Binh still managed to control the situation and make a safe save.
The second half has ended.
Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 drew 2-2 after 90 minutes of regulation time, and the two teams will go into extra time.
90+7' – South Korea U23 equalizes
Shin Min Ha controlled the high ball well inside the penalty area before unleashing a shot that beat Van Binh, leveling the score at 2-2 for South Korea U23.
90+4' – Van Binh makes the save.
Goalkeeper Van Binh played confidently, making a clean save of a header from a considerable distance by a South Korean U23 player.
90' – The match has 7 minutes of added time.
With 7 minutes of added time in the second half, the South Korean U23 team pushed their entire squad into the Vietnamese U23 team's half.
89' – Vietnam U23 holds firm
Van Binh made an excellent save against Lee Hyeon Yong's dangerous long-range shot. Immediately afterwards, Anh Duc managed to block Park Jun Seo's corner kick with his back.
86' – The incident that led to the red card
South Korea U23 created a dangerous missed shot, and Vietnam U23 failed to clear the ball decisively. Dinh Bac rushed in to challenge and kicked Lee Chan Wook in the shin, receiving a direct red card.
83' – Lee Chan Wook shoots over the crossbar.
South Korea U23 maintained the pressure and Lee Chan Wook tried his luck with a long-range shot, but it was inaccurate.
82' – Substitution for Vietnam U23
Xuan Bac and Ngoc My came on as substitutes for Thai Son and Van Thuan.
78' – South Korea launches a full-scale attack.
Desperate to score, the South Korean U23 team pushed their entire formation forward, constantly creating dangerous situations in front of the Vietnamese goal.
77' – No fouls
A controversial high ball occurred inside the Vietnam U23 penalty area; Van Binh missed his punch but the referee did not award a penalty.
75' – Missed shot
U23 South Korea launched an attack, and Kang Seong Jin had a chance to shoot from a tight angle, but he couldn't beat Van Binh.
71' – Dinh Bac scores
From a free kick just to the left of the penalty area, Dinh Bac executed a skillful shot that went over the wall, bounced off the ground, and into the far corner, giving Vietnam U23 a 2-1 lead.
69' – A regrettable goal conceded.
Vietnam U23's defense was indecisive in a high ball situation, and Lee Tae Won took advantage of the opportunity to score with a diagonal shot, equalizing the score at 1-1 for South Korea U23.
66' – Non-dangerous set-piece situation
Kang Seong Jin took the free kick for South Korea U23, but the ball went weakly and landed safely in Van Binh's hands.
63' – Effective attack down the left flank
Thai Son handled the ball well in midfield before the Vietnam U23 team pushed forward to the left wing. After some combinations between Dinh Bac and Van Thuan in the penalty area, the final shot lacked accuracy.
59' – South Korea U23 misses a chance
Following a free kick from the right wing, Lee Chan Wook failed to capitalize, heading the ball wide of the goal.
55' – Pressure increases
Jeong Jae Sang had a chance to head the ball from an early cross, but the Vietnamese U23 central defenders put pressure on him, causing the shot to be inaccurate.
52' – Corner kick cleared
Van Binh punched the ball away from a corner kick on the left wing, and Duc Anh headed it away at the far post to keep U23 Vietnam in control of the game.
50' – Vietnam U23 team breaks through the pressure
A right-wing attack by the South Korean U23 team created an opportunity for Park Jun Seo, but Anh Quân was quick to close it down. Lee Chan Wook's subsequent long-range shot missed the target.
46' – Vietnam U23 makes a substitution
The second half officially began, with the Vietnam U23 team kicking off and making a substitution as Cong Phuong came on to replace Quoc Viet.
45'+3 – Vietnam U23 temporarily leads.
The first half officially ended, with Vietnam U23 going into halftime with a 1-0 lead over South Korea U23.
45' – Referee signals added time
The electronic scoreboard was raised, and the first half had 3 minutes of added time.
45' – Van Binh plays confidently
The U23 Vietnam goalkeeper made a good judgment, rushing out to catch the ball before it crossed the 16.5-meter line.
40' – South Korea U23 puts pressure on
South Korea U23 took a free kick on the right wing, and Hyun Tae rose high to head the ball, putting the Vietnam U23 defense on alert.
37' – Dinh Bac misses a beat
In a quick counter-attack, Dinh Bac sprinted down the right wing with determination and almost beat Jang Seok Kwan. However, he stumbled, losing his balance and allowing his opponent to get back on his feet and steal the ball.
34' – The referee changes his decision.
Dinh Bac's high kick on Jung Seung Bae nearly resulted in a penalty for the South Korean U23 team. However, VAR intervened, and the referee determined there was no foul, as the South Korean player deliberately fell.
30' – Goal! Vietnam U23 opens the scoring.
Dinh Bac dribbled at speed down the left wing and crossed the ball into the box. Quoc Viet rushed into the penalty area and finished from a tight angle, beating the South Korean U23 goalkeeper. 1-0 for Vietnam U23!
27' – Van Binh speaks up
Kang Min Jun had a chance to score after a wing attack by the South Korean U23 team, but his shot from the center was successfully saved by Van Binh.
22' – Vietnam U23 team worried
Goalkeeper Cao Văn Bình was injured after a collision with a teammate. Fortunately, he was able to continue playing after receiving medical attention.
18' – Missed long-range shot
Following a cross from the wing by Van Thuan, the ball found its way to Thai Son. He immediately shot, but the ball went too high over the goal.
13' – KIM DO HYUN'S LONG-RANGE SHOT
Spotting an opening, Kim Do Hyun immediately unleashed a long-range shot, but the attempt lacked the necessary power and accuracy.
11' – Intense contest
The match became tense when Kim Do-Hyun of South Korea U23 fouled Vo Anh Quan, giving Vietnam U23 a free kick on the right wing. Earlier, in the 7th minute, the midfielder had also fouled Anh Quan.
10' – The game is balanced again.
The Vietnam U23 team was no longer at a disadvantage like at the beginning of the match, constantly executing small group combinations, forcing the South Korea U23 team to retreat deep and chase the ball.
5' – The game is tilting in favor of South Korea U23.
The South Korean team is dominating in terms of possession, while the Vietnam U23 team is playing it safe and waiting for opportunities to counter-attack.
1' – The referee blows the whistle to start the match.
South Korea U23 kicked off first, and the match officially began.
South Korea U23 starting lineup
Hwang Jae Yun, Kang Min Jun, Bae Hyun Seo, Jo Hyun Tae, Joung Jihun, Jung Seung Bae, Kim Do Hyun, Kim Dong Jin, Shin Min Ha, Jang Seok Hwan, Jeong Jae Sang
Vietnam U23 starting lineup
Van Binh, Duc Anh, Nhat Minh, Van Ha, Phi Hoang, Quoc Cuong, Thai Son, Anh Quan, Quoc Viet, Dinh Bac, Van Thuan
Vietnam U23 vs South Korea U23 Prediction: An opportunity to conclude the tournament beautifully.
Vietnam U23 entered the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup third-place match after a 0-3 defeat against China U23 in the semi-finals. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team tried their best but failed to create many breakthroughs, and also suffered losses in personnel with Hieu Minh and Ly Duc absent due to injury and suspension.
Conversely, the South Korean U23 team also failed to overcome the Japanese U23 team in the semi-finals. The East Asian representatives struggled against their opponent's disciplined style of play and had to settle for the third-place match.
Although it's not a match either team wants, both Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 are aiming for a victory to leave the tournament with their heads held high. With a more relaxed mindset and less pressure, Vietnam U23 could spring a surprise against their opponent.
Predicted score: Vietnam U23 2–1 South Korea U23.
