With the home advantage, Thailand started the game with confidence. Yotsakon Burapha opened the scoring with a stunning curling free-kick. Goalkeeper Nguyen Trung Kien got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out.
It was Burapha’s seventh goal of the tournament and his third consecutive match scoring from a free kick.
Facing a 0-2 deficit and losing control of the game, coach Kim Sang-sik acted quickly. He made an early tactical substitution, bringing on Nguyen Thai Son for Nguyen Thai Quoc Cuong to regain balance in the midfield. The adjustment proved to be the turning point.
The break was pivotal for Vietnam, as they emerged from halftime with renewed purpose. Early in the second half, captain Nguyen Dinh Bac latched onto a through ball and used his strength to bypass the defense, forcing goalkeeper Sorawat Phosama into a foul inside the box.
Dinh Bac stepped up and converted the penalty that he earn, narrowing the gap to 1-2.
Just 11 minutes later, a corner kick from substitute Le Van Thuan caused chaos in Thailand’s box. Under pressure from Pham Ly Duc and Nguyen Hieu Minh, Thailand defender Waris Choolthong awkwardly put the ball into his own net, leveling the score at 2-2.
Coach Kim Sang-sik continued to show his "Midas touch" in his substitutions. Van Thuan, after coming on, played explosively and it was he who earned the corner kick from a long-range shot that deflected off a Thailand defender's foot.
Vietnam then squandered further opportunities, such as Nguyen Xuan Bac's close-range shot which hit the goalkeeper's leg and bounced off.
Then it was Hieu Minh's turn to head the ball from close range, hitting the post, also from a corner kick taken by Van Thuan.
Coach Kim jumped up in premature celebration, then clutched his head and knelt down on the ground. First Xuan Bac, then Hieu Minh, gave the South Korean coach false hope.
With the score leveled after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. Coach Kim’s substitutions struck again in the 96th minute.
Three substitutes combined for the winner: Nguyen Thai Son passed to Le Van Thuan, who controlled the ball in the box and finished low. Goalkeeper Phosama made the save, but Nguyen Thanh Nhan was quick to react, tapping in from the rebound.
Thanh Nhan took off his shirt in jubilation, accepting a yellow card as his teammates swarmed him for celebration. The goal stunned the Rajamangala Stadium into silence. Only the euphoric cheers of the Vietnamese supporters remained.
The victory marks a historic milestone: it is the first time Vietnam have defeated Thailand on their home ground in an official match at the U23 level.
Vietnam maintained their advantage for the remainder of extra time to complete the incredible comeback and become the new gold medalist in men's football at the SEA Games.
