Vietnam 2-0 Laos: Xuan Son opens the scoring, Tuan Hai seals the victory.
Vietnam defeated Laos 2-0, securing second place in Group F and keeping their hopes alive for the 2027 Asian Cup; the first half was deadlocked, but substitutions by coach Kim Sang Sik turned the tide.
A penalty by Nguyen Xuan Son in the 69th minute and a bicycle kick by Tuan Hai in the 90+3 minute helped the Vietnamese national team beat Laos 2-0 on the evening of November 19th, maintaining their second place in Group F and continuing their pursuit of a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals. However, behind the three points lay a stalemate in the first 45 minutes – a recurring pattern under coach Kim Sang Sik.
First half deadlock: lots of possession, but chances wasted.
Vietnam dominated possession and created numerous scoring opportunities, but their finishing lacked sharpness. Tien Linh missed several good chances, and the connection between Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, and Van Vi was not as effective as expected.
“We wanted to try a new approach, and use Hoang Duc and Quang Hai to strengthen our attack. However, the performance did not meet expectations,” coach Kim Sang Sik frankly stated after the match. The weakness in cohesion in the final third of the field meant that the passing combinations lacked the speed and surprise to penetrate Laos' dense defense.
A turning point from the bench.
In the second half, coach Kim substituted all four attacking players: Xuan Son, Tuan Hai, Pham Gia Hung, and Hai Long. Tuan Hai's appearance immediately made a difference as he constantly disrupted Laos' well-organized defense. After a series of missed opportunities around the 60th minute, Tuan Hai earned a penalty for Vietnam.
From the penalty spot, Nguyen Xuan Son accurately converted the penalty to open the scoring in the 69th minute. Although he hasn't yet regained his best form, Xuan Son's return and goal-scoring is a positive sign for Vietnam's attack.
The opening goal allowed the 110th-ranked team to play more openly, while Laos' physical condition visibly deteriorated. In the 88th minute, the home team was reduced to almost 10 men when Damoth (currently playing for Thanh Hoa) suffered an injury but had to continue playing because Laos had already used all their substitutions.
The 2-0 victory was sealed in 90+3: the right winger made his mark.
In the 90+3 minute, from the right wing, Tien Anh crossed the ball into the 5.5-meter area. Goalkeeper Anoulak made an indecisive save, allowing Tuan Hai to score with a beautiful overhead kick, sealing a 2-0 victory. This skillful finish demonstrated the persistent effort of the substitute striker and the value of the personnel changes in the second half.
What remains after 3 points
Compared to their narrow victory against Nepal in October, Vietnam still has much work to do to improve their attacking prowess and cohesion. Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized that the team needs more time to perfect itself – a message he repeats whenever the team wins but isn't yet convincing. In March 2026, Vietnam will face Malaysia – an opponent of a completely different caliber than Laos or Nepal – in a match that could determine their chances of advancing. If they want to compete for a spot in the 2027 Asian Cup finals, these adjustments must translate into more tangible results.
According to the latest FIFA rankings, the Vietnamese national team has moved up one place to 110th – a positive sign, coupled with an away victory.
Key information
- Score: Laos 0-2 Vietnam
- Goals: Nguyen Xuan Son 69' (penalty), Tuan Hai 90+3'
- Highlights: Four attacking substitutions at the start of the second half; Tuan Hai won a penalty and scored the winning goal.
