With all three wins, U22 Thailand and defending champion Vietnam have entered the semi-finals and are currently sharing the top two positions in Group B. The direct match between the two teams in the final round is still considered worth watching because the final result will determine the first and second place in the group as well as determine the semi-final matches.
Thailand and Vietnam are two football powerhouses in Southeast Asia. The matches between the two football teams are always dramatic, fierce and attract viewers. Thailand holds the record with 16 SEA Games gold medals, while Vietnam under coach Park Hang-seo has won the tournament twice in a row. The last time they met at the SEA Games, Vietnam defeated Thailand in the gold medal final in May 2022.
In the history of men's football at the SEA Games, Vietnam has faced Thailand 7 times in the group stage but has never won. The "golden star" warriors lost 4 and drew 3 matches against the "war elephants". This time, although U22 Vietnam and U22 Thailand were in the same group, they are still considered the 2 teams competing for the gold medal.
U22 Vietnam (right) will compete for the top spot with Thailand tonight, May 11. Photo: QUANG LIEM
Through their performance since the beginning of the tournament, experts commented that the Thai team is better than their opponents thanks to their young core with high professional qualifications and effective, modern attacking tactics. Coach Issara Sritaro said that the match with U22 Vietnam is an opportunity for the coaching staff to review the squad, evaluate the quality of the players and also affirmed that U22 Thailand will win.
Before entering the final round of the group stage, U22 Thailand has added central defender Jonathan Khemdee to strengthen the defense. Although registered for the 32nd SEA Games, this Thai player did not play in the 3 group stage matches and just joined the team on May 8. Khemdee will most likely be assigned the task of marking and blocking striker Nguyen Van Tung on the U22 Vietnam side.
Meanwhile, after defeating U22 Malaysia and securing a ticket to the semi-finals, coach Philippe Troussier said he would rotate his squad for the final round of the group stage. The head coach of U22 Vietnam wants to defeat U22 Thailand to take the top spot in the group, but prioritizes the recovery of the squad and preserving their strength for the semi-finals. It is likely that U22 Vietnam will keep half of the main squad, creating conditions for the reserve team to compete in the match against U22 Thailand.
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