Deep lead against Thailand, Vietnam still suffers a painful loss in the opening match of Leg 2 of SEA V.Cup

23/07/2026 20:36:39 ari

(Volleyball results) - The Vietnam men's volleyball team endured a heartbreaking loss to Thailand in five sets in their first match of Leg 2 of the 2026 SEA V.Cup.

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List of Vietnamese players for Leg 2 of SEA V.Cup 2026
List of Thai players for Leg 2 of SEA V.Cup 2026

Set 1: Vietnam 25-23 Thailand

A very tight set with a well-deserved victory for the Vietnamese men's volleyball team. Thailand started fast and took the lead when new player Thanat made his mark, but after a tactical timeout, our team came back strongly, capitalizing on the opponent's mistakes to take the lead. Thailand's coach Park Ki-won even had to call two consecutive timeouts.

The lead was maintained by Ngọc Thuân and his teammates until near the end of the set, when we made some reception errors and allowed the opponent to equalize. However, coach Federico Rampazzo's team showed composure and excellent timing. On the only set-point opportunity, we succeeded with an ace from Duy Tuyến.

A brilliant set by the middle blocker from Biên Phòng, alongside the contributions of Ngọc Thuân and new talents like Phương "grenade", young star Ngọc Hiếu, and the Italian coach's tactics that successfully neutralized the opponent's biggest star - Napadet.

Set 2: Vietnam 25-15 Thailand

A perfect 10 performance by the Vietnamese men's volleyball team. Our blocking continued to shut down Napadet and forced Thailand to switch to attacker Chaiwat, while our offensive combinations remained highly effective. Ngọc Thuân was outstanding, including 3 aces, while Văn Phương and Thế Khải performed their duties well.

Thailand's reception "fell like ripe figs" under the immense pressure from Vietnam's attack. The gap widened, and coach Rampazzo's team was just one set away from overall victory.

Set 3: Vietnam 18-25 Thailand

Vietnam unexpectedly slacked off in set 3. Thailand made timely adjustments, with many balls set to position 3 or behind the 3-meter line as Napadet received special attention. Coach Rampazzo then gave a chance to setter Hoài Phương, but the player from Công an TPHCM had a poor SEA V.Cup debut, causing the gap to widen further.

Efforts in the final points were not enough to create a surprise. Thailand won set 3 by a comfortable margin, narrowing the score to 1-2.

Set 4: Vietnam 21-25 Thailand

Vietnam and Thailand played closely in the early points, with our team having a slight advantage thanks to points from Ngọc Thuân and Văn Phương. However, from the 11-9 lead, coach Rampazzo's players allowed the opponent to easily turn the tables. The difference lay in backcourt defense and reception, where Thanat and his teammates performed far better. Thailand deserved to win set 4, and the match would go to a decisive set 5.

Set 5: Vietnam 12-15 Thailand

In the decisive set, coach Rampazzo took a gamble by moving Duy Tuyến to opposite hitter, pairing middle blockers Thế Khải and Thanh Tùng, and later bringing in Hoài Phương to replace Văn Duy. The Italian coach's plan was likely to maximize height to counter Napadet's threat. However, Thailand still had Chaiwat Thungkham - a player once criticized by coach Bùi Huy Châm as having below-average skills when he was loaned to XSKT Vĩnh Long at the start of the 2024 V-League season.

Chaiwat's clever plays repeatedly caught our defense off guard. At one point we narrowed the gap to just 1 point, but Thailand played with great composure and confidence after coming back from 2-0 down. The match ended anticlimactically with Duy Tuyến's serve hitting the net.

In the end, Thailand beat Vietnam 3-2 (23-25; 15-25; 25-18; 25-21; 15-12). Thailand has secured advancement as the top of Group B, the battle for the remaining spot will be between Vietnam and Myanmar.