SEA Games: Vietnam beat Thailand 1-0 to successfully defend men’s football gold

Vietnam narrowly defeated Thailand 1-0 in the final match at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium on the evening of May 22 to take the gold medal in the 31st SEA Games men’s football event.

Forward Nham Manh Dung was on target with seven minutes to go to help Park Hang-seo’s troops successfully defend their title.

Vietnam started the match strongly and had two successive chances to get off the mark after five minutes, which were wasted by Van Tung and Hung Dung with inaccurate attempts.

The home side pushed on in the following minutes, but Thailand stood firm, neutralising Vietnam’s attacks to bring the two sides into half-time level at 0-0.

Thailand should have gone ahead on the hour mark when Nakin Wisetchat skewed a delightful pass into the penalty area but teammate Ekanit Panya failed to touch the ball in front of the empty net.

Goalkeeper Van Toan rescued the Vietnamese side by denying Korawich’s 76th-minute strike from the edge of the box before Nham Manh Dung broke the deadlock seven minutes later matching Tuan Tai’s favourable cross from the left flank with an unstoppable header toward the top-right corner.

With time running out, Thailand pushed harder hoping to level the score; however, Vietnam played solidly to safeguard their advantage until the final whistle.

This is the second consecutive time Vietnam have clinched the SEA Games men’s football gold medal.

Earlier on the same day, Indonesia finished off Malaysia 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw to take the bronze.