With a 1-0 victory over Thailand on May 22 – courtesy of the sumptuous 83rd-minute header from Nham Manh Dung – Vietnam claimed back-to-back gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games men's football tournament, it reported.

It was only their second championship since breaking their gold-medal duck in 2019, ESPN said, adding that “the triumph was typical of the football that has become synonymous with Vietnam under Park Hang-seo - with organisation and efficiency the hallmarks of the game plan.”

“Perhaps the most impressive aspect of their gold medal-winning efforts is that it was down with a new generation of prospects and not the golden generation that has fuelled much of Vietnam's recent success.”

Thailand’s Siam Sports described the 0-1 loss Thailand suffered as “heartbreaking.”  

“Defending their football crown from the 2019 Games, the home team came out on top of a tough match in front of a capacity 40,000 crowd at Hanoi's rocking My Dinh stadium,” it said.

“Downpours had drenched Hanoi all day, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of red-clad spectators who began arriving for the clash several hours before it began in an effort to grab a prime seat,” according to AFP.

The Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, erupted as the home team held on for a narrow, nervy win, it stated.

Source: VOV