Vietnam vs Laos: A Victory to Bid Farewell to 2025 (7:00 PM, November 19, live on VTV5, Asian Cup Qualifiers)

19/11/2025 06:55:00 soccer

This game will conclude Vietnam’s football activities in 2025, and fans have good reasons to expect that Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad will bid farewell to the calendar year with a spectacular victory.

Coach Kim Sang Sik fully grasps the importance of his team’s last match in 2025 and wants his players to be completely focused to secure the three points. Winning is mandatory, and the "Golden Star Warriors" must demonstrate their strongest qualities.

Coach Kim Sang Sik’s players also recognize this as their final chance to prove themselves to the national team this year. Particularly, those competing for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award, such as Hoàng Đức, Văn Lâm, Văn Vĩ, Tiến Linh, are likely to be especially motivated.

Laos has never beaten Vietnam in their head-to-head record, and ahead of tonight’s match, there has been little progress. The 1-8 aggregate defeat to Malaysia in October revealed the capabilities of the squad led by Coach Ha Hyeok Jun. Laos’s only goal against Malaysia last month was scored by Chanthavixay Khounthoumphone, who has not stood out much since returning to club play recently.

The most notable star of Laos is Bounphachan Bounkong, who plays for Svay Rieng (Cambodia) and is familiar to Duy Mạnh and his teammates. Damoth Thongkhamsavath, currently playing for Thanh Hóa, is also well known to Vietnamese defenders.

Quang Hải and his teammates’ task is to secure three points with a convincing win in Vientiane. Photo: Tuấn Phạm

The visiting team’s challenge lies in their ability to convert chances. Coach Kim Sang Sik is currently undecided about which forwards to use to score for Vietnam. Tiến Linh, after a strong start to the season, has failed to score for over a month, while the inexperienced Gia Hưng and newcomer Việt Cường have not performed better.

Therefore, Coach Kim Sang Sik has reason to hope that Xuân Son will enter the game and fully display his skills and passion after being out for 10 months due to injury. Facing a manageable opponent like Laos is also an opportunity for Xuân Son to regain his top competitive form.

However, Laos might adopt a defensive strategy to discourage the visitors. Coach Kim Sang Sik needs several approaches to penetrate the home team’s goal. In the win against Nepal, Vietnam went through difficult moments before finally overcoming their opponent. Laos also demonstrated the effectiveness of a defensive style against Malaysia, only conceding in the second half, which is something Vietnam should apply.

Currently, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team stands second in the group with many advantages in the race to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals. Vietnam needs to defeat Laos to build psychological momentum for the decisive final group match against Malaysia. Coach Kim Sang Sik confirms that the most important goal is to win by their own efforts rather than relying on external luck.

The head-to-head record clearly favors Vietnam, having won all 11 recent matches. It is likely that Vietnamese fans attending the upcoming match in Laos will be as numerous as the home supporters. This provides a solid basis for Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team to aim for a convincing performance.

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