Vietnam secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Laos in Group B on July 19. Captain Khuat Van Khang opened the scoring early in the first half, followed by a standout performance from 21-year-old center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh, who scored twice in the latter stages of the match.
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The U23 Vietnamese team celebrate beating Laos in the 2025 ASEAN U23 Championship on July 19. (Photo: giaoducthoidai.vn) |
"I am very happy to score two goals," Minh said after the match.
"This motivates me to continue putting in more effort for the next match. Thank you to the fans for always supporting the team."
Coach Kim added: "I am very pleased with the 3-0 victory in our opening game of the event. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank the Vietnamese fans who were present in the stadium to cheer us on, as well as those who supported us from afar."
The Korean coach noted that U23 Laos adopted a tight defensive strategy from the start. However, the Vietnamese players demonstrated perseverance in searching for opportunities, quickly breaking the deadlock with the opening goal.
"It is important that we maintain a balance between defense and attack, effectively controlling the game to preserve our achievements," Kim said.
Regarding the U23 Indonesia team, which have won their first two matches in Group A and are considered a strong contender for the championship, Coach Kim remained saying: "Indonesia are a well-organized team. However, we have only played one match. The entire team need to focus on each game as planned and on our goals. This is our priority right now."
Coach Ha Hyeok-Jun of Laos said: "As expected, the Vietnamese team are very strong. We did our best and prepared thoroughly, but we were unable to achieve more. We have learned many lessons from this match and will strive harder in the next tournament."
When asked about overseas Vietnamese midfielder Viktor Le, who played in the second half, Coach Ha said: "He plays aggressively, with enthusiasm, and has great potential to become a star of Vietnamese football in the future."
After securing three points in their opening match against Laos, Vietnam will aim for another victory against Cambodia on July 22 in Jakarta to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Source: VNA