Southeast Asia Vietnam

Most Memorable Moments of 2018 – Vietnam

By: , January 3, 2019 3:45 pm
Credit – Tran Tien

Join us as we look back at the most important, memorable or iconic moments in South-East Asian football in 2018.  

Vietnam Qualify AFC U23 Final

For the first time in history, Vietnam has gone through final match of AFC U23 Championship. Park Hang-Seo's side beat a lot of strong teams on the way to their way to the big time, including Australia, Iraq and Qatar before just losing to Uzbekistan in the dying minutes of extra time in the final match.

Women's Team Beat Thailand in Asian Games

Vietnam women's team had a difficult year when they eliminated without a goal in the Asian Cup. However, they also bought the joy to the supporter with unexpected 3-2 win over Thailand in the group stage of the Asian Games. The victory over the reigon's strongest side was symbolic, and the three points from that match ensured their passage to the quarter finals.

Minh Vuong's Asian Games Semi-Final Goal

After a glorious tournament in China, Vietnam's U23 football team made the fans go crazy by reaching the final four in Asian Games with almost the same squad. Despite losing in both the semi final and bronze medal match, Park Hang-seo side still managed to turn their game against eventual winners South Korea into a memorable one, courtesy of a beautiful free kick from Tran Minh Vuong.

Nam Dinh FC Survive In V.League

In many cases, the V.League has failed to capture the interest of the masses in Vietnam. However, the one major exception Nam Dinh FC. Each of their league matches are festivals with thousands of fans going to the stadium. Despite struggling from financial issues, they managed to survive in the league due to their victory on penalties over Hanoi B in the relegation playoff. This crucial result means that Vietnam's most supported club will remain in the top flight next season.

Vietnam Crowned Champions of AFF Cup

After a ten year await, Vietnam finally became champions of AFF Cup with their victory over Malaysia. This is a very remarkable campaign from Park Hang-Seo's side, as they went through the entire tournament without losing a single game. The parties that ensued on the streets of Hanoi after their 1-0 victory in the second leg of the final make this the most memorable moment of the year for Vietnam.