Quan Van Chuan had a big influence on the final match in Rayong on the evening of August 26. In extra time, when the score was 0-0, he used his foot to block a shot from striker Ramadhan Sananta in a one-on-one situation. In the penalty shootout, the goalkeeper of Hanoi FC saved a penalty from his colleague Ernando Ari, helping Vietnam win 6-5 and become the first team to successfully defend the U23 Southeast Asian championship.

However, Vietnam's number one goalkeeper believes that he was just one factor in his team's victory. "The credit is not mine alone. The whole team contributed to the championship," he said. "I was lucky to save the last penalty."

Before this match, Van Chuan was a concern for coach Hoang Anh Tuan because he did not have a good feeling in the phases of entering and exiting to prevent crosses. He missed the ball, leading to Laos equalizing 1-1 in the opening match, and made a similar mistake in the beginning of the second half of the match against the Philippines. However, he was still trusted and started in the semi-final victory over Malaysia 4-1 and Indonesia in the final. According to the 21-year-old goalkeeper, the mistakes were mainly due to his lack of experience in competition, when he was only the third choice for Hanoi FC, but being able to play continuously in this tournament helped him gradually improve himself.

Vietnam’s squad for this year’s tournament is not the strongest, with many players under the age of 20. The task for coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team is to gain experience and gain experience. Therefore, the team’s goal is to try to reach the finals, not to mention the championship.

Vietnam 0-0 (6-5 pen) Indonesia

In the group stage, Vietnam was criticized for beating Laos 4-1 in a match that was not too dominant, even under pressure at times, before scoring three goals in 15 minutes. The team then only defeated the Philippines with a minimal difference of 1-0. But in the semi-finals, with the strongest lineup, Vietnam showed a completely different face, defeating Malaysia in the first half when leading by three goals. Despite withdrawing some key players such as Xuan Tien, Minh Khoa, Dinh Duy and Quoc Viet from the field to save energy for the final, the team still ended the match with a 4-1 victory. In the final, despite being under a lot of pressure from Indonesia's tough and determined play, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team still overcame to win the title.

"I am very happy, the goal is to reach the final, finally win and become the champion," Quang Van Chuan said, adding that he wants to dedicate the championship to his family, loved ones and fans, especially those who followed him to Thailand to cheer for the team.

Hieu Luong