Players of Vietnam (in white) and the RoK vie for the ball (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam’s U23 team secured a 1-0 victory against the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s U20 squad in a friendly held at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi on April 22, as the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) is nearing in.
Head coach Park Hang-seo of Vietnam fielded all the three over-aged players right at the start of the match.
Nguyen Van Tung scored the only goal of the match from an assist by Ly Cong Hoang Anh, at nearly the end of the first half.
Both teams made numerous substitutions in the second half. The RoK youngsters strived to equalise but they lacked accuracy.
The teams had a 1-1 draw in a previous friendly in northern Phu Tho province’s Viet Tri Stadium three days ago.
Vietnam are reigning champions in men’s football at the SEA Games, which states the age limit for teams is under-23 plus up to three over-aged players for each squad.
SEA Games 31, themed “For a stronger South East Asia”, will run in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities from May 12 to 23. It will feature 40 sports with 526 events and is expected to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact./.
