Vietnam moves up to second place, close to Thailand

The Vietnamese futsal team entered the match against Malaysia at 3:30 p.m. with the goal of having to win. Being in a group with host Thailand, the most likely goal for coach Diego Giustozzi and his team is to win second place (compete for first place if possible) to get a ticket to the semi-finals. Because they will meet Thailand in the last round, the Vietnamese futsal team needs to accumulate 9 points against Timor Leste, Malaysia and Brunei to gain the right to decide for themselves.

In the match held in Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand), the Vietnamese futsal team was held back by Malaysia throughout the first half. The team nicknamed "Tigers" played a tight defense, fought extremely hard, and used quick attacks thanks to the mobility of the ala (sideline players) to create opportunities.

Vietnam futsal team won second place

However, just like the previous match against Timor Leste, the Vietnamese futsal team may not have played well in the first half, but they rose up in the second half. Nguyen Thinh Phat and his teammates took full advantage of Malaysia's impatience to earn a penalty in the 26th minute, before Tu Minh Quang scored accurately to open the scoring. Thinh Phat then sealed a 2-0 victory for Vietnam with a precise left-footed shot into the top corner, bringing the total number of goals in the tournament to 3.

Defeating Malaysia, the Vietnamese futsal team rose to second place with 6 points. With the same 6 points as Vietnam, Thailand ranked higher due to a better goal difference. The team coached by Miguel Rodrigo (who led Vietnam at the 2016 World Cup) beat Brunei 13-0, then defeated Timor Leste 7-1.

Malaysia ranked third with 3 points after 1 win and 1 loss, while Timor Leste and Brunei ranked the bottom two respectively.

If the Vietnamese futsal team defeats Brunei and Malaysia fails to beat Thailand in the match taking place tomorrow (November 5), coach Diego Raul Giustozzi and his team will certainly have an early ticket to the semi-finals, regardless of the final match against Thailand taking place on November 6.

What did the Vietnam team coach say?

Speaking after the match, coach Diego Giustozzi said: “I think we need to show a lot of respect to our opponents because they are a good team. I think Malaysia did their best today and the Vietnamese team also played their best. The Vietnamese team played very well today in terms of technique and tactics. This is very important because if we win tomorrow, we can advance to the semi-finals.”

Coach Diego Giustozzi added: “We played well in the first half. In the second half I think Malaysia played better and I told the players they had to get back into the rhythm of the game. I have confidence in my team, I know my players.”

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bang-xep-hang-futsal-dong-nam-a-viet-nam-len-nhi-bang-ap-sat-thai-lan-185241104175726061.htm