After losing to Thailand, Vietnam faces a tough opponent in the Southeast Asian semifinals

The loss to Thailand has made it challenging for the Vietnam U19 futsal team in the Southeast Asian U19 futsal semifinals.

Before the final match of Group A in the 2025 Southeast Asian U19 futsal, Vietnam held an advantage by leading Thailand in goal difference. This meant that securing just one point would guarantee coach Nguyễn Tuấn Anh’s squad the top spot and help them avoid a strong opponent in the semifinals.

However, the home advantage was effectively exploited by the Thailand U19 futsal team as they staged a comeback to defeat Vietnam with a score of 2-1, thereby taking the lead in the group.

This result means that Vietnam U19 futsal finished second in Group A and will face Indonesia, the leaders of Group B who secured two wins against Malaysia and Myanmar. Meanwhile, Thailand U19 futsal will only need to face Malaysia in the semifinal round.

Compared to Malaysia, Indonesia is a much stronger opponent. The Indonesian team is considered the favorite to win the championship this time. Evidence of this is their young players crushing Myanmar 4-1 in the opening match, followed by a display of quality when they defeated Malaysia 1-0, confidently advancing to the semifinals as the top team in Group B.

As for Vietnam U19 futsal, coach Nguyễn Tuấn Anh’s squad has shown some strength in this tournament. In their opening match, the "Golden Star Warriors" gave Brunei no chance, winning 18-0. However, the slip-up against the host Thailand revealed weaknesses that need to be addressed if the team aims to win the championship or at least overcome Indonesia in the semifinals.

Returning to the recent match, Vietnam took an early lead in the 2nd minute thanks to Đỗ Văn Thanh following a mistake by the hosts. In the second half, the young Thai players increased pressure and equalized in the 22nd minute by Seatawut Sritong, then took the lead 2-1 just one minute later with a goal from Wacharin Kerdngoen. This was the final goal, sealing a 2-1 victory for Thailand U19 futsal.