The 2025 U23 Southeast Asian final between U23 Vietnam and U23 Indonesia, taking place at 8:00 p.m. on July 29 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Indonesia), is not only a highly anticipated rematch between the two leading football regions in the region, but also carries many historical significance, as the Vietnamese youth teams have never won in the finals held on the opponent's field.
Since 2013, Vietnamese youth football has participated in the finals of Southeast Asian tournaments held in Indonesia 3 times, but has not been able to step up to the highest podium.
In 2013, the U19 Vietnam team at that time, with the core being the HAGL Academy - Arsenal JMG players, played resiliently against U19 Indonesia in Sidoarjo.
However, after 120 minutes without a goal, coach Guillaume Graechen and his team lost 6-7 in the penalty shootout.
In 2022, the U16 Vietnam team also lost 0-1 to U16 Indonesia in the Southeast Asian Championship final in Yogyakarta. Those were all tense, balanced matches, but the home team was always the winner in the end.
From a historical perspective, Indonesia has become a challenging destination for young Vietnamese teams every time they enter the final match of a tournament.
The pressure of the home field, the pressure from the home fans and the courage in decisive moments are factors that make it difficult for young representatives of Vietnamese football in their journey to conquer the title here.
This time, U23 Vietnam will face U23 Indonesia in the context of the home team just won 7-6 in a dramatic penalty shootout against U23 Thailand in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, U23 Vietnam defeated U23 Philippines with a score of 2-1 thanks to goals from Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac, thereby participating in the Southeast Asian U23 final for the third consecutive time.
Both teams have prepared carefully and have units. This is also the second consecutive time U23 Vietnam and U23 Indonesia have met in the final match.
In the 2023 tournament, U23 Vietnam defeated their opponent on the 11m mark to win the championship, but that was a match on a neutral field.
With the venue being Gelora Bung Karno - Indonesia's largest stadium and often filled with spectators every time the national team competes, U23 Vietnam will have to endure a lot of pressure.
This will be a test not only in terms of expertise but also in terms of psychology, competitive spirit and maturity of the young players.
The victory could help U23 Vietnam win the Southeast Asian U23 Championship for the third time.
But more importantly, it will be a turning point to help Vietnam's youth teams erase a streak of not winning in the finals in Indonesia - something that previous generations have not been able to do.
