In the 54th minute of the final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Indonesia at Bung Karno Stadium, when coach Kim Sang-sik and his team were leading 1-0, the game suddenly became hot after a foul by defender Anh Quan.
Although the main referee quickly intervened and gave the Vietnamese player a yellow card, the atmosphere on the field did not cool down as many Indonesian players rushed into fierce controversy.
Unexpectedly surrounded despite not being involved in a foul, Dinh Bac became the target of some opponent players. The striker wearing the No. 7 shirt has scratched her neck, with long red spots on her skin. However, instead of reacting, Dinh Bac chose to remain silent, avoiding escalating the conflict. This move helped him avoid falling into the opponent's "psytical trap" and avoided the risk of receiving a penalty card.
VAR technology was then used to review the entire process. However, the main referee decided not to issue any more penalty cards, making many Vietnamese fans regretful that the Indonesian player's lack of fair play was not handled. It is also possible that the presence of VAR has made the Indonesian players somewhat more restrained, avoiding obvious acts of violence.
Previously, center back Ly Duc received a yellow card for using a wrench to fight back when he was fouled. However, unlike his teammates, Dinh Bac showed maturity in how to handle situations, especially in a high-pressure match like the final.
In the end, U23 Vietnam won 1-0 and won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship for the third time. This is the result of competitive spirit, alertness in every moment and even a cold head in the "fire" of the away field.
