Substitutes, not regulars, came through as the Vietnamese U23 football team came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Thailand in a group stage match at the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos on Wednesday.

Thai Duong played well as a midfielder, organizing several attacks on both sides, including a sharp pass to Phan Thanh Binh although the latter failed to score. He played a major role in the sharp attacks launched by Vietnam, Calisto told the media after the match.

Another surprise in the match was Tran Dinh Dong, who did well as a left flank defender – a position that he had never played in before, successfully stopping several attacks by Thai midfielder Paluwat.

Expert commentators said Dong’s good performance reflected the style of former national star Pham Huynh Tam Lang.

But the biggest surprise was sprung probably by Hoang Dinh Tung as he found the net with a penalty kick to level the score at 1-1, which was also the final result. The penalty was awarded after a foul by a Thai defender.

Tung, who had helped the U21 Vietnam team won a bronze medal at the U21 International Tournament 2009 in Vietnam, was substituted for Phan Thanh Binh in the 54^th minute.

“I am so happy that I could play and score. I felt the pressure before the penalty kick because I knew millions of Vietnamese were waiting. And I finally did it.”

The Vietnamese players were also hailed by experts for sticking to their game plan after conceding a goal to Thailand in the 71^st minute. Thailand’s Keerati got a golden chance to beat Vietnam’s goalkeeper Tan Truong after he failed to gather a shot from Arthit.

Vietnam Football Federation chairman Nguyen Trong Hy yesterday came to the yard to congratulate each player of the U23 team after the match. “VFF will have adequate bonuses for the team if they advance further in the tournament,” he said.

One point is “clearly better” than none, Calisto told the media, adding that the team would have another tough match with Malaysia on December 6.

He said his players had to take a lot of pressure from the support of Vietnamese fans but began to play better in the second half.

It is estimated that more than 10,000 fans came to the Main Stadium in Laos to support the Vietnamese team.

Thailand’s U23 coach, Steve Darby, said his players had performed well but regretted the penalty that enabled Vietnam to draw the match.

Reported by Thanh Nien staff