A regrettable defeat against Thailand, Vietnam Futsal accepts second place in the group

Entering the decisive match for the ranking, with both teams already qualified for the quarterfinals, coach Diego Giustozzi fielded his strongest lineup including goalkeeper Pham Van Tu and the defensive quartet of Chau Doan Phat, Nguyen Da Hai, Dinh Cong Vien, and captain Nguyen Manh Dung. On the other side, Thailand showed high determination led by their captain Itticha Praphaphan.

The first half was a tightly contested and tactical battle. The cautious approach from both coaching staffs meant the first 20 minutes ended goalless, despite chances created by both sides toward the opponent’s goal.

The turning point came in the 35th minute of the second half. Taking advantage of a rare lapse in Vietnam’s defensive system, Krit Aransanyalak – wearing number 4 and brought on from the bench – made a decisive shot past goalkeeper Pham Van Tu to open the scoring 1-0 for Thailand.

Refusing to accept defeat, in the last 5 minutes Vietnam switched to a power-play tactic to push all-out attack. Coach Giustozzi’s players applied intense pressure on the Thai half, but Thailand’s defense fought bravely and covered each other well to preserve their narrow lead until referee Fahad Badir Alhosani blew the final whistle.

With this result, in the quarterfinals, Thailand will face the runner-up of Group A, while Vietnam will confront a tough challenge against the Group A winner, most likely the host Indonesia.