Tien Linh did not score, but Vietnam still beat Laos '5 stars'

Facing Laos in the opening match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, the Vietnamese team set a goal of a big win. Coach Kim Sang-sik's players met expectations when scoring 5 goals against their opponents at Binh Duong Stadium.

The Vietnamese team attacked right from the start of the match. The home team completely dominated and had many options to threaten the opponent's defense. Nguyen Tien Linh did not score again when he was placed in the position to replace Nguyen Xuan Son, but the Vietnamese team did not lack effective strikers in this match. Among them, the most surprising factor was Nguyen Van Vi.

After scoring in the match against Cambodia, the left-back of Nam Dinh club continued to make his mark in the context of having to compete for a position with Vietnamese-American player Cao Quang Vinh Pendant. Not having to struggle with defensive duties, Van Vi contributed more to the attack with 2 goals to raise the score to 2-0 and 3-0.

The two attacking midfielders of the Vietnamese team in this match, Chau Ngoc Quang and Nguyen Hai Long, brought home 2 goals. Ngoc Quang opened the score after a confused situation of the Lao defender. Hai Long helped the Vietnamese team widen the gap to 4 goals with a superb long-range shot.

At the end of the match, the home team scored another goal to seal a 5-0 victory. Nguyen Quang Hai scored against the Laos team after a beautiful combination with Nguyen Hoang Duc.

The Vietnamese defense had a leisurely match. Goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu rarely had to face the opponent's shots. The home defenders easily broke up the low-quality attacks of the Lao team. The Vietnamese team did not concede any goals in this match.

The 5-0 score is the biggest victory of the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang-sik. The Korean coach and his students will face Malaysia in the second match taking place in June 2025.