Vietnam train hard before crucial Malaysia clash in U23 Asian Cup

The session started at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, while the weather was still sunny and hot.

Two players overslept and arrived 15 minutes late. They had to pay a fine of VND500,000 ($21.56) according to team regulations.

Head coach Gong Oh-kyun (L) consults his assistant before entering training.

In his first tournament as the head coach of U23 Vietnam, the 47-year-old impressed spectators with his offense oriented playing style that bolster passion and confidence among Vietnam players.

This is the only training session for Vietnam before playing Malaysia.

Goalkeeper Nguyen Van Toan was able to train after his finger injury. In the first game with Thailand, he dislocated his finger after trying to block a shot. The injury sidelined him for the next games against South Korea and Malaysia.

Despite drawing the last two matches against Thailand and South Korea, Vietnam still have a great chance to advance but only if they can beat Malaysia.

Phan Tuan Tai (number 5) is one of the rising stars on the team. The left-back had one goal and two assists for Vietnam in this tournament.

Center-back Nguyen Thanh Binh is also among the best talents on the team.

Vietnam's target against Malaysia is nothing less than victory, since any other results would eliminate them.

Vietnam will enter the quarterfinals if they beat Malaysia and the other game between South Korea and Thailand doesn't end up with a 3-3 draw or higher.

Both games will take place at 8 p.m. (Hanoi time) on Wednesday. The game between Vietnam and Malaysia will be reported live on VnExpress International.