SEA GAMES 2013: Vietnam Set Up Decisive Encounter against Malaysia

NAYPYITAW (15 Dec 2013) – Vietnam have just set up a mouth-watering, decisive encounter against Malaysia in two days when they whitewashed Laos 5-0 in a Group A tie here at the Zeyar Thiri Stadium.

With the win today, Vietnam maintained their position on third at the table with six points from three matches played. Malaysia are on seven points from the same number of games.

Singapore currently lead the standings with eight points from four games.

Against Laos, the Vietnamese youngsters kept to the same gameplan they had been using all this time, with their fast, attacking brand of football. Laos had defend for much of the time, as they kept the Vietnam onslaught at bay.

It was not until the 25^th minute that Pham Man Hung finally opened the scoring as Nguyen Van Quyet then added the second goal three minutes later for Vietnam to take a 2-0 lead at the half.

Laos did not lose their shape as they defended in numbers for much of the second half. But in the end, Vietnam were just too quick to resist as Van Quyet nailed the third goal of the game in the 76^th minute as Vu Minh Tuan then added the fourth, two minutes later.

But while Mac Hong Quan finished things off with the fifth goal of the game two minutes to the end, Vietnam’s victory suffered a blot when Sam Ngoc Duc was red carded for an unnecessary push on the face on Laos’ Ketsada Souksavanh.

GROUP A CURRENT STANDINGS