[Live] South Korea vs Vietnam

VnExpress•17/10/2023

South Korea's Son Heung-min scored one goal and provided one assist, helping South Korea take a 6-0 lead over Vietnam in a friendly match ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

90'
The second half had three minutes of added time.
89'
Vietnam counterattacks.
Vietnam launched some promising counter-attacks thanks to Van Toan's speed, but South Korea also retreated quickly into defense, causing the visitors' opportunities to slip away.
87'
6-0 for South Korea
Dang Van Lam attempted to block the shot from the South Korean player, but only lightly touched the ball with his hand. Jeong Woo-young was in the right place at the right time, scoring a close-range rebound goal.
83'
Van Khang shot wide.
Vietnam had a chance from a counter-attack, but Khuất Văn Khang's shot was too weak and inaccurate.
73'
Khuat Van Khang's free kick hit the post.
Vietnam nearly scored when Khuất Văn Khang's free kick from over 20 meters hit the post.
69'
Son Heung-min creates the opportunity.
South Korea capitalized on their numerical advantage with a fifth goal. Son Heung-min dribbled past the penalty area and passed to Lee Kang In, who skillfully curled a left-footed shot past Van Lam to make it 5-0.
Son Heung-min (number 7) was involved in three of the five goals.
66'
Vietnam made four substitutions.
Nguyen Van Toan, Giap Tuan Duong, Khuat Van Khang, and Ho Van Cuong entered the field. Dinh Bac, Hoang Duc, Tien Anh, and Tuan Hai left the field.
61'
Bui Hoang Viet Anh received a red card.
After losing possession just outside the penalty area, center-back Viet Anh's contact caused Son Heung-min to stumble and miss a one-on-one opportunity with Van Lam. The referee showed Viet Anh a red card, but replays showed that this decision seemed too harsh, as the Vietnamese defender touched the ball first and unfortunately collided with Son's supporting leg.
The South Korean player also approached, seemingly asking the referee to reverse his harsh decision against Viet Anh, but nothing could be changed.
60'
Son Heung-min increased the score to 4-0.
Two Premier League players, Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, exchanged passes in midfield before the Tottenham striker finished past goalkeeper Van Lam. The Vietnamese goalkeeper had previously saved a powerful header from Gue-sung, but was helpless against Son's finish.
57'
Duy Mạnh's shot went over the crossbar.
The ball from Hung Dung's corner kick was cleared by the South Korean defender. From the second line, Duy Manh curled the ball over the crossbar.

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While Vietnam has only reached the final qualifying round once, South Korea has qualified for the World Cup finals 10 times in a row – a feat only achieved by Brazil, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The vast difference in skill level is evident, with infrastructure development spanning decades. While South Korea has already produced many world- class stars, Vietnam is only just beginning to focus on sending players abroad, with the majority of cases failing.

Before today's match, both fans and the home media didn't mention the result much, as if to express the view that "a victory for South Korea is inevitable." In the South Korean press, the most attention was focused on whether star player Son Heung-min would play, whether coach Jurgen Klinsmann would rest key players, or the debate about the benefits of choosing a weak opponent like Vietnam for a friendly match.

For Vietnam, two defeats with the same 0-2 scoreline against China and Uzbekistan have erased the achievements of their first three consecutive wins under coach Philippe Troussier. Their ball-possession style of play is inconsistent, and none of the new or young players have yet made the same impact as the previous generation. Expectations have also become a source of pressure for the French coach.

Coach Troussier called today's match in Suwon a "gift" rather than a challenge, seeing it as a good opportunity for the Vietnamese players to face stars from the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, whom they usually only see on television. But the match also marks the end of the experimentation phase before the team begins its real journey in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in a month's time.