U23 Vietnam stun U23 Indonesia 3-0. Photo: Nhan dan

Coach Park Hang-seo’s U23 Vietnam performed well on May 6 to outplay their Indonesian opponents 3-0 in their opening game of Group A at SEA Games 31, VOV reported.

Coach Park showed his resolve to get three points in the match against Shin Tae-yong’s U23 Indonesia by sending in all three overage players, Hung Dung, Hoang Duc, and Tien Linh at the beginning alongside experienced players like Van Xuan, Viet Anh, Thanh Binh, Hoang Anh or Van Toan.

Holding the ball much of the first half, Vietnamese players carved out several scoring chances, but they all failed. Striker Tien Linh was the best player in the first half who overpowered the goal of the Indonesian side.

Coach Park Hang-seo (C) celebrates Vietnam's second goal in the opening game of SEA Games 31 against Indonesia, May 6, 2022. Photo: VGP

In the second half, it was Tien Linh who put Vietnam ahead in the 54^th minute after receiving a pass from Manh Dung.

U23 Vietnam continued to put pressure and got the second goal 20 minutes later. Tien Linh poked a slot for Hung Dung to hammer the ball into the back of the net, extending Vietnam’s lead.

Vietnamese players rushed to attack for the rest of the match, but Tien Linh, Thanh Minh or Manh Dung did not take advantage of chances.

However, U23 Vietnam got another goal in the 87^th minute when Van Do put the ball in, but an Indonesian defender missed the ball, making the goalkeeper unable to turn back. The ball went into the net to the surprise of the Indonesian defenders.

Vietnamese fans at Viet Tri Stadium. Photo: Nhan dan

Defeating U23 Indonesia 3-0, U23Vietnam temporarily rose to second place in Group A with three points.

In another Group A match, U23 Philippines trounced U23 Timor Leste 4-0 to stay atop.

In the next game on May 8, Vietnam will face the Philippines. Park said the team will prepare carefully for this game.

SEA Games 31 flame lighting ceremony held

Earlier the same day, the flame ignition ceremony for SEA Games 31 was held at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi to prepare for lighting the cauldron at the Games opening ceremony six days later.

Eleven outstanding Vietnamese athletes who represented the 11 participating sports delegations took part in the ignition ceremony, according to VietnamPlus.

Fencer Vu Thanh An holding the lit torch and other athletes at the SEA Games 31 flame ignition ceremony on May 6. Photo: VNA

They had laid wreaths and paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum before Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh handed over the lit torch to fencer Vu Thanh An at the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

The athletes arrived at My Dinh National Stadium at 7pm.

The flame will be kept at the Ho Chi Minh worshiping hall of the stadium before it lights the cauldron at the opening ceremony on May 12 evening and shines throughout the Games that lasts until May 23.

The organising committee has selected track and field athlete Quach Thi Lan to light the torch at the Games’ opening ceremony at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on May 12.

Runner Quach Thi Lan will light the torch at opening ceremony of 31st SEA Games. Photo: laodong.vn

According to the original plan, the task of lighting the torch was given to shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won gold for Vietnam at the Rio Olympics Games in 2016. However, he has turned to coaching for this year's SEA Games, Viet Nam News said.

Vinh will only participate in the torch relay and will hand the torch back to Lan before she lights the torch. This is considered a message from the previous generation to the younger generation: let's play well and win glory for the country at the region's biggest sporting event.

Themed “For a Stronger Southeast Asia”, SEA Games 31 will feature 40 sports and take place in Hanoi and 11 nearby localities.

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted a SEA Games, after the first in 2003./.

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