BREAKING: Referee 'disallows goal', causing Vietnam to suffer a painful defeat to Thailand

The Korean referee refused to validate Vietnam U19 futsal's 2-2 equalizer against Thailand.

Following the loss to Thailand U19 futsal on the evening of 25/12, the Vietnam U19 futsal team placed second in Group A and will face Indonesia U19 futsal in the semifinals of the 2025 Southeast Asia U19 futsal Championship. Notably, Vietnam U19 futsal had a legitimate 2-2 equalizing goal that was not recognized by the referee.

In the decisive match for the top spot against Thailand U19 futsal, Vietnam U19 futsal started with strong determination and scored the opening goal as early as the 2nd minute. Văn Thành capitalized on the opponent’s mistake, stole the ball, then dribbled past goalkeeper Watcharin Kerdngoen before finishing to score against the hosts. After the goal, Vietnam U19 futsal organized tight and disciplined defense, making Thailand’s attacks struggle, but they could not extend the lead in the first half.

In the second half, Thailand U19 futsal employed a power-play strategy and quickly made an impact. Srithong scored the equalizer, then goalkeeper Watcharin Kerdngoen advanced to score, putting the score at 2-1 in the 23rd minute.

Vietnam U19 futsal had several notable chances to level the score, but attempts by Minh Vương and Minh Huy were unsuccessful. In the 35th minute, Vietnam U19 futsal scored from a fast counterattack, but the goal was disallowed, sparking controversy.

According to some sources, in this play Vietnam U19 futsal did not foul any Thai player, yet the Korean referee, Mr. Kim Taewan, disallowed the goal. This caused a strong reaction from the Vietnam U19 futsal coaching staff.

According to the schedule, the semifinals of the 2025 Southeast Asia U19 futsal Championship will take place on 27/12. Vietnam U19 futsal will face Indonesia U19 futsal at 16:00, while the other semifinal features Thailand U19 futsal versus Malaysia U19 futsal at 19:00.