Vietnam secured a resounding victory against Laos in their opening match of the VFF Cup 2022.

Van Hau celebrates after scoring a spectacular goal against the Laos national team. Photo: Hai Hoang.

Participating in the AFF Cup 2022,Vietnam national teamPlaced in Group B alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Laos, the opening match for the Vietnamese team, played in Vientiane, was predicted to be relatively easy for coach Park Hang-seo's team. This was because Laos had never won against Vietnam in the past. This fact boosted the confidence of our players, allowing them to completely dominate their opponents from the start.

According to statistics, Vietnam's ball possession rate throughout the match was over 60%. This also means that the total number of chances created by Coach Park's players was much greater than that of the home team.

Despite having just recovered from Covid-19, Phan Văn Đức played with great effort and played a key role in the quality attacking plays of the Vietnamese national team. Photo: Hai Hoang

The Vietnamese team's attacking plays were quite diverse. The seamless combination of central and wing attacks by Coach Park's players was a notable highlight of the match. In particular, Phan Văn Đức, despite having recently recovered from Covid-19, played with great effort and was a key player in Vietnam's quality attacking plays.

With pressure coming from multiple directions, the Vietnamese team quickly took the lead before the match had even begun, less than 15 minutes into the game. From a build-up on the left wing, Van Hau delivered a perfectly placed cross for Tien Linh to powerfully head home the opening goal for Vietnam. However, a few minutes later, a setback occurred for Coach Park's team when Quang Hai had to leave the field early due to a right thigh injury. Van Quyet was brought on to replace him. The presence of the Hanoi FC captain somewhat reassured the fans. Evidence of this was the fiery attacking play in the final minutes of the first half, creating numerous opportunities in front of Keo Souvannasangsgo's goal. In the 43rd minute, Hung Dung capitalized on these dangerous situations with a goal to double Vietnam's lead. From a hesitant clearance by the opposing defender, the ball bounced perfectly into Hung Dung's path. The Vietnamese captain calmly placed the ball towards the far corner, and the low shot found the back of the net against Laos.

Tien Linh opened the scoring for the Vietnamese national team. Photo: Hai Hoang

In the second half, the initiative remained entirely with the Vietnamese team. A header from Thanh Chung in the 55th minute completely bypassed the Laotian defense. Tan Tai was in the right place at the right time to easily tap the ball into the net from close range, increasing Vietnam's lead to 3-0.

But it didn't stop there. Three minutes later, Van Hau scored a spectacular goal to make it 4-0 for Vietnam. Midfielder Hoang Duc lofted a ball into the penalty area, and Doan Van Hau controlled it neatly before unleashing a skillful outside-of-the-foot shot with his left foot, giving the Laotian goalkeeper no chance to save it.

Van Toan came onto the field and played with great effort, leaving a strong impression on the audience. Photo: Hai Hoang

As the game progressed, the Vietnamese team demonstrated their superior class, maintaining their usual attacking pace. And Vietnamese fans had another reason to celebrate as the match drew to a close. Tuan Hai released the ball from the edge of the penalty area, Van Toan dribbled and finished with a diagonal shot to make it 5-0. In injury time, Vietnam scored another goal to seal a 6-0 victory. Van Thanh raced down to receive a through ball from his teammate, then calmly beat goalkeeper Keo Souvannasangsgo in a one-on-one situation with a low shot.

The final result saw the Vietnamese national team secure a resounding 6-0 victory in their opening match of the AFF Cup 2022.