(C) VietnamNet

BANGKOK – South Korean strategist Kim Sang-sik has officially ushered in a new golden era for Vietnamese football. By orchestrating a dramatic comeback victory against Thailand, Kim has achieved a historic "treble" that eluded even his legendary predecessor, Park Hang-seo.

On the night of December 18, the Vietnam U-22 national team defeated Thailand 3-2 after extra time in the men's football final of the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. Despite trailing 0-2 in the first half, Vietnam showcased remarkable resilience, with goals from Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Ly Duc forcing the game into extra time, where Nguyen Thanh Nhan secured the winner.

This victory marks Vietnam’s third SEA Games gold medal in the post-unification era. More importantly, it completes an unprecedented sweep of Southeast Asian football titles in a single calendar year. Since taking the helm in May 2024, Kim has led Vietnam to titles in the ASEAN Championship (Mitsubishi Electric Cup) in January, the ASEAN U-23 Championship in July, and now the SEA Games.

Local media, including VN Express, highlighted that Kim is the first head coach in Vietnamese history to win all three major regional trophies in one year—a feat never before seen in Southeast Asian football. While Park Hang-seo is revered for putting Vietnam on the map, he never secured these three specific titles consecutively within the same timeframe.

"I am immensely proud of the players who never gave up, even when we were down 0-2," Kim said during the post-match press conference. "I reminded them during halftime that their seniors had won in this very stadium just months ago. That belief carried us to the podium."

With this "Kim Sang-sik Magic," Vietnam has firmly re-established its dominance in the region, proving that the post-Park era is not just about transition, but about reaching even greater heights.

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