Thai newspaper: U23 Vietnam is number 1 in Southeast Asian football

Thai press praised the victory of U23 Vietnam over U23 Indonesia, winning the U23 Southeast Asian Championship for the third consecutive time.

U23 Vietnam excellently defeated host U23 Indonesia to successfully defend the U23 Southeast Asian championship title.

This is the second consecutive final match that U23 Vietnam has defeated U23 Indonesia, and continues to write a new page in Southeast Asian youth football history with a "hat-trick" of championships.

U23 Vietnam successfully defended the U23 Southeast Asian Championship. Photo: VFF

The only goal in the final was scored by Nguyen Cong Phuong in the 36th minute, silencing the 35,000 spectators at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

“Hero Nguyen Cong Phuong! U23 Vietnam defeated U23 Indonesia 1-0, winning the U23 Southeast Asian Championship for the third consecutive time ,” wrote Thai Rath newspaper of Thailand after the match.

Thai Rath emphasized: “The Vietnam U23 team once again affirmed its position as the number 1 team in the region after defeating host Indonesia with a score of 1-0, thereby winning the 3rd Southeast Asian U23 championship.

Defeating Indonesia, Coach Kim Sang Sik and U23 Vietnam made history

U23 Vietnam is the only team to achieve a hat-trick of titles in the tournament" .

Regarding the match details, Thai Rath mentioned: “The final match of U23 Southeast Asia 2025 ended with a dramatic victory for U23 Vietnam.

The match is considered a top competition between two strong candidates for the championship.

Host team U23 Indonesia just defeated U23 Thailand in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals, while U23 Vietnam - the reigning cup holder - defeated U23 Philippines 2-1 to qualify for the final.

In the first half, U23 Indonesia took the initiative to control the ball and put pressure on the opponent, but encountered a solid defense of U23 Vietnam.

All passes to naturalised striker Jens Raven – who has scored seven goals in the tournament – were cut off.

Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team made history. Photo: VFF

In the 36th minute, the turning point came when Vietnam was awarded a corner kick. Pham Duc Ly jumped high to head the ball into the box, causing a chaotic situation, and Cong Phuong did not miss the opportunity, unleashing a powerful shot into the net of U23 Indonesia. That was also the only goal of the match.

The victory over U23 Indonesia helped U23 Vietnam officially win the U23 Southeast Asian Championship for the third time, after 2022 and 2023, affirming its position as the strongest young team in the region" .

Watch the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship live and in full onFPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bao-thai-lan-u23-viet-nam-thong-tri-u23-dong-nam-a-2426969.html