What a dramatic story! The opposing goalkeeper guessed the penalty direction wrong seven times, and Vietnam, with only ten men, won the shootout against South Korea to claim third place in the U23 Asian Cup.

On January 24th Beijing time, the U23 Asian Cup third-place match concluded with a fierce battle between traditional Asian powerhouse South Korea and the rising Southeast Asian contender Vietnam. After a 2-2 draw in extra time, Vietnam edged out South Korea 9-8 in the penalty shootout, pulling off a stunning upset to secure the bronze medal. Remarkably, South Korea’s goalkeeper stubbornly guessed the penalty direction wrong all seven times!

South Korea is a strong Asian team whose strength speaks for itself. They advanced from the group stage as runners-up and then narrowly defeated Australia 2-1 in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. Facing Asia’s top-ranked Japan in the semifinals, they fell behind and ultimately lost 0-1, missing out on the final. Vietnam, meanwhile, showed strong offensive power, dominating the group stage by beating Jordan and Saudi Arabia to top their group. In the quarterfinals, they eliminated the UAE 3-2 after extra time, knocking out West Asian teams. However, in the semifinals against China, Vietnam was completely overwhelmed and lost 0-3, failing to reach the final and surprising many.

This set the stage for Vietnam and South Korea to meet in the battle for third place, fulfilling both teams' dream of a decisive showdown. Looking ahead to this bronze medal match, both sides had a chance, with the key factor being their performance on the day!

After the match started, South Korea quickly took control of possession, but their attacks were evenly matched with Vietnam’s, and clear chances were rare. Vietnam seized a counterattack opportunity when Nguyen Thanh Binh delivered a precise assist to Nguyen Quang Hai, who scored first. In the second half, South Korea adjusted their lineup and substitution paid off as Kim Tae-won scored with a sweeping shot to equalize. However, just 2 minutes later, Nguyen Thanh Binh stunned everyone with a brilliant free kick, curling the ball into the net to put Vietnam ahead 2-1. But at the 86th minute, Nguyen Thanh Binh committed a reckless foul and received a red card, leaving Vietnam one man down and in a difficult position. As expected, South Korea launched relentless attacks and finally scored in stoppage time. In the 97th minute, a long ball into the box found Shin Min-ho, who controlled it perfectly and scored a last-second equalizer. The match went into extra time. Neither side could break through in extra time, with Vietnam, despite being a man down, holding firm. In the penalty shootout, South Korea’s goalkeeper was stubborn again, guessing right all six times but to the wrong side, allowing Vietnam to score all six penalties. On the seventh kick, South Korea’s Bae Hyun-woo missed, putting his team’s fate on the line. Meanwhile, Vietnam calmly scored to seal the win. The Korean keeper guessed left again and got it wrong. This match truly was a rollercoaster of incredible twists!

Congratulations to Vietnam for holding firm and defeating South Korea to claim the Asian Cup third place. It must be said, the South Korean goalkeeper was quite a character, guessing the penalty direction wrong all seven times in the shootout, making it a hilarious spectacle!

Written by/Titan Sports Fiction