Vietnam U22 lost 0-1 to Uzbekistan: missed opportunities
After conceding a goal in the 4th minute, Vietnam U22 rallied with chances from Dinh Bac and a header that hit the crossbar in the 90th minute by Ngoc My, but still lost 0-1 to Uzbekistan U22 at the Panda Cup 2025.
Vietnam U22 suffered a 0-1 defeat against Uzbekistan U22 in their second match of the 2025 Panda Cup at Chengdu Shuangliu Stadium. An early goal in the 4th minute forced Coach Dinh Hong Vinh's team to chase the game for the remainder of the match, missing several clear-cut opportunities, the most regrettable being Ngoc My's header hitting the crossbar in the 90th minute.
An early goal conceded and the reaction of the Vietnam U22 team.
Uzbekistan U22 started the match with speed and strength on both flanks, quickly creating pressure. In the 4th minute, from a cross from the right wing by Karimov Behruzion, Saidkhon Khamidov rushed in and finished to open the scoring. The game was completely dominated by the Central Asian team for the first half.
U22 Vietnam gradually stabilized after conceding a goal. The attacking duo of Dinh Bac and Viktor Le continuously found space. In the 41st minute, Viktor Le played a through pass for Dinh Bac to shoot with his left foot, narrowly missing the post; goalkeeper Trung Kien immediately made a diving save. Towards the end of the half, Dinh Bac had a close-range shot (45+1) but the ball lacked sufficient power.
Earlier in the 30th minute, Karimov nearly doubled the lead with a long-range free-kick that forced Trung Kien to make a difficult save. U22 Vietnam responded immediately with a turning shot from Pham Minh Phuc, but the ball went wide.
They were more proactive in the second half, but lacked composure in the final moments.
After the break, the Vietnam U22 team increased their pace and proactively pressed higher up the pitch. In the 46th minute, from a free kick by Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong, Le Van Thuan made a diving header that went wide of the post. In the 57th minute, Hieu Minh's loss of possession gave the opponent a counter-attack opportunity, but Van Truong retreated in time to thwart it.
The substitutions in the second half (Thanh Nhàn, Anh Quân, and Thái Sơn came on) helped the Vietnam U22 team maintain their attacking tempo. Đình Bắc continued to be the target of attacking moves and had a long-range shot in the 66th minute, but the Uzbekistan goalkeeper made a clean save. Two consecutive corner kicks in the 73rd minute did not result in a goal.
Meanwhile, the Uzbekistan U22 team defended deep, lurking for counter-attacks. In the 81st minute, number 13 Zumaev fired a powerful shot from the 16.5-meter line, narrowly missing the post. The climax came at the end of the match: in the 89th minute, Ngoc My took a shot inside the penalty area but couldn't beat the defense; just a minute later, he headed the ball against the crossbar, missing the clearest chance to equalize.
Tactical analysis: Uzbekistan's speed on the flanks and Vietnam U22's pressing.
Uzbekistan dominated the game thanks to their fast wingers, constantly stretching Vietnam's defense with early crosses – one of which resulted in a goal in the 4th minute. Once they had the advantage, they shifted to a deeper defensive formation, prioritizing preserving the score and waiting for counter-attacks.
The U22 Vietnam team reacted positively: increasing high-pressure pressing after the break, organizing more multi-directional attacks (through the center and flanks), and creating a series of opportunities from both open play and set pieces. The standout performances came from Dinh Bac with his movement to occupy space, and Viktor Le providing clear-cut passes that created chances. However, in the decisive moment, composure in front of goal proved to be the difference.
Prominent figures
- Dinh Bac: wide range of activity, creating many notable scoring opportunities.
- Ngoc My: came on and created aerial pressure, had a header that hit the crossbar in the 90th minute.
- Trung Kien: showed good reflexes with a diving save in the first half.
Key events by minute
- 4': Karimov Behruzion crosses the ball, Saidkhon Khamidov finishes to open the scoring 0-1.
- 23': Dinh Bac takes a shot but it's blocked by an Uzbekistan defender; the subsequent corner kick is not dangerous.
- 30': Karimov takes a long-range free kick, Trung Kien saves it; immediately afterwards, Minh Phuc takes a weak shot.
- 41': Viktor Lê plays a through ball, Đình Bắc shoots wide of the post; Trung Kiên makes a diving save.
- 45+1': Dinh Bac takes a close-range shot, but the ball goes weakly.
- 46': Quoc Cuong takes a free kick, Van Thuan heads the ball wide of the post.
- 57': Hieu Minh loses the ball, Uzbekistan counter-attacks, Van Truong makes a timely save.
- 66': Dinh Bac's long-range shot goes straight to the goalkeeper.
- 73': Two consecutive corner kicks for Vietnam U22, still no goal.
- 81': Number 13 Zumaev fires a powerful shot from the 16.5-meter line, but the ball goes wide of the post.
- 89': Ngoc My takes a shot inside the penalty area, but it's unsuccessful.
- 90': Ngoc My's header hits the crossbar.
- FT: Vietnam U22 0-1 Uzbekistan U22.
Starting lineup
| Team | Player |
|---|---|
| Vietnam U22 | Trung Kien, Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh, Ly Duc, Phi Hoang, Van Truong, Quoc Cuong, Minh Phuc, Viktor Le, Dinh Bac, Van Thuan |
| U22 Uzbekistan | Rustamov Umar, Khamidov Saidkhon, Murtazaev Dilshod, Khayrullaev Ravshan, Karimov Behruzuon, Yorkboev Shoh, Jumaev Asilbek, Rejabaliev Meyirbek, Tulkunbekov Azizbek, Abdullaev Dilshod, Ibramov Nurlan |
Next schedule
Vietnam U22 will face South Korea U22 on November 18th in their final match of the Panda Cup 2025.
