U22 Vietnam lost 0-1 to Uzbekistan: regretting the opportunity

Vietnam U22 suffered a 0-1 defeat against Uzbekistan U22 in the second match of the 2025 Panda Cup at Chengdu Shuangliu Stadium. The early loss in the 4th minute forced coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his team to chase the ball for the rest of the match and miss many great opportunities, the most regrettable of which was Ngoc My's header hitting the crossbar in the 90th minute.

Early loss and reaction of U22 Vietnam

U22 Uzbekistan entered the match with speed and strength on both flanks, quickly creating pressure. In the 4th minute, from a right-wing cross by Karimov Behruzion, Saidkhon Khamidov rushed in to score the opening goal. The game was completely tilted in favor of the Central Asian team in the first half of the first half.

U22 Vietnam gradually stabilized after conceding the goal. The attacking pair Dinh Bac - Viktor Le continuously searched for space. In the 41st minute, Viktor Le passed the ball to Dinh Bac, whose left foot shot missed the post regretfully; immediately after that, goalkeeper Trung Kien jumped to save the goal. At the end of the half, Dinh Bac had a close-range shot (45+1) but the ball's power was not strong enough.

Earlier in the 30th minute, Karimov almost doubled the gap with a long-range free kick that forced Trung Kien to struggle to push the ball away. U22 Vietnam responded immediately with Pham Minh Phuc turning and shooting but the ball went weak.

The second half was more proactive, but lacked coolness in the final moments.

After the break, U22 Vietnam accelerated and actively pressed higher. In the 46th minute, from a free kick by Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, Le Van Thuan flew and headed the ball wide of the post. In the 57th minute, Hieu Minh's loss of the ball gave the opponent a counter-attack opportunity, but Van Truong retreated in time to neutralize it.

Personnel adjustments in the second half (Thanh Nhan, Anh Quan, Thai Son entered the field) helped U22 Vietnam maintain the attacking rhythm. Dinh Bac continued to be the destination of the attacks and had a long shot in the 66th minute but the Uzbekistan goalkeeper caught it. Two consecutive corner kicks in the 73rd minute did not turn into goals.

Meanwhile, U22 Uzbekistan retreated deep to protect their advantage, waiting for a counter-attack. In the 81st minute, number 13 Zumaev shot hard from the 16m50 line but missed the post. The climax came at the end of the match: in the 89th minute, Ngoc My shot in the penalty area but could not beat the defense; just one minute later, he headed the ball against the crossbar, missing the clearest chance to equalize.

Tactical angle: Uzbekistan's speed on both flanks and U22 Vietnam's pressing

Uzbekistan dominated the game thanks to their speedy wingers, constantly stretching the Vietnamese defense with early crosses – one of which brought a goal in the 4th minute. When they had the advantage, they switched to a low block, prioritizing preserving the score and waiting for counter-attacks.

U22 Vietnam responded positively: increased high-level pressing after the break, organized more multi-directional attacks (central and flank), created a series of opportunities from both live and dead balls. The outstanding mark came from Dinh Bac with his ability to move to occupy space, while Viktor Le provided passes that opened up clear opportunities. However, at the decisive moment, the coldness in front of the goal was still different.

Featured Characters

• Dinh Bac: wide operation, creating many remarkable finishing situations.
• Ngoc My: entered the field and brought pressure in the air, with a header hitting the crossbar in the 90th minute.
• Trung Kien: good reflexes with a flying save in the first half.

Key developments by the minute

• 4': Karimov Behruzion crossed the ball, Saidkhon Khamidov finished to open the score 0-1.
• 23': Dinh Bac shot but was blocked by an Uzbekistan defender; the corner kick after that was not dangerous.
• 30': Karimov takes a long free kick, Trung Kien pushes it out; right after that, Minh Phuc shoots lightly.
• 41': Viktor Le passed the ball, Dinh Bac's shot missed the post; Trung Kien flew to save the goal.
• 45+1': Dinh Bac's close-range shot went low.
• 46': Quoc Cuong takes a free kick, Van Thuan heads the ball wide of the post.
• 57': Hieu Minh lost the ball, Uzbekistan counter-attacked, Van Truong managed to block.
• 66': Dinh Bac's long-range shot hits the goalkeeper's position.
• 73': Two consecutive corner kicks for U22 Vietnam, no goals yet.
• 81': Number 13 Zumaev shoots hard from the 16m50 line, the ball misses the post.
• 89': Ngoc My's shot in the penalty area was unsuccessful.
• 90': Ngoc My's header hits the crossbar.
• FT: U22 Vietnam 0-1 U22 Uzbekistan.

Starting lineup

Next match schedule

U22 Vietnam will meet U22 Korea on November 18 in the final match at Panda Cup 2025.