Vietnam entered the third-place playoff with a reshuffled lineup as midfielders Pham Ly Duc was suspended and Nguyen Hieu Minh sidelined with a serious injury. Head coach Kim Sang-sik handed starting roles to Le Van Ha and Nguyen Duc Anh, while several fringe players were also given opportunities.

South Korea, meanwhile, made multiple changes to their starting compared to previous matches.

Despite South Korea enjoying greater possession and winning more individual duels, Vietnam maintained a compact and disciplined defensive structure in the opening stages. The Korean side struggled to create clear chances, while Vietnam looked threatening on the counter-attack.

Vietnam broke the deadlock in the 31st minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac delivered a low cross from the left flank, allowing Nguyen Quoc Viet to finish from close range. The goal came after a swift move involving just three Vietnamese players and three passes.

Five minutes later, South Korea were initially awarded a penalty following a challenge by Dinh Bac inside the box. However, after a VAR review, the referee overturned the decision, ruling that the Vietnamese striker had withdrawn his leg in time to avoid contact.

South Korea continued to dominate possession but found few openings, with goalkeeper Cao Van Binh required to make only one save in the first half as Vietnam held onto their 1-0 lead at the break.

Pressure increased after the restart as South Korea pushed higher up the pitch. Vietnam defended resolutely but were eventually breached in the 69th minute when Kim Tae-won turned sharply and fired a precise shot past Van Binh to level the score.

The equaliser lasted barely two minutes. Dinh Bac restored Vietnam’s lead with a superb free kick, curling the ball beyond the Korean goalkeeper to make it 2-1.

Vietnam’s task became significantly harder shortly afterwards when Dinh Bac was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge, leaving his team to defend with ten men. South Korea capitalised on their numerical advantage late in the match, scoring an equaliser in the closing minutes to force extra time.

During the additional 30 minutes, Vietnam were reduced to just one natural centre-back and spent most of the period defending deep. Van Binh produced a series of crucial saves to deny South Korea and keep the score level at 2-2.

The match was decided in a tense penalty shootout. After both teams converted their first six attempts, Van Binh guessed correctly to save Bae Hyun-seo’s spot kick. Nguyen Thanh Nhan then calmly scored the decisive penalty, sealing a 7-6 victory for Vietnam.

The result earned Vietnam third place at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. In the tournament’s history, the only Southeast Asian team to record a better finish remains Vietnam’s U23 side that reached the final in 2018.

Although they fell short of the final this time, Vietnam’s campaign was widely viewed as exceeding expectations. Kim Sang-sik’s players impressed with their resilience, tactical discipline and ability to compete against Asia’s traditional powerhouses.

Vietnam’s winning streak, stretching from the ASEAN U23 Championship through to the semifinal stage of the continental tournament, highlighted the team’s progress. However, their semifinal defeat to China exposed certain limitations, particularly physical fatigue after a series of high-intensity matches.

South Korea, coached by Lee Min-sung, endured a below-par tournament by their own standards. Despite dominating possession in several matches, their attacking efficiency was lacking. Even so, the Korean side remain among Asia’s strongest youth teams when viewed in a broader regional context.

Coach Giustozzi finalises 14-player roster for 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup

VOV.VN - Head coach Diego Giustozzi has crossed names of five players to finalize the 14-player Vietnamese futsal team that will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia, to participate in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup from January 27 to February 7.