Vietnam come from behind against South Korea in ASIAD 20 women's doubles sepak takraw semifinal

At noon on September 28, 2026, at the ASIAD 20 sepak takraw court, Vietnam let South Korea take a 6-3 lead in the first game. Coach Nguyen Thi Vui immediately replaced Khanh Ly with Hong Lien. Right after that, Vietnam scored 12 consecutive points and won the first game 15-6. A moment that seemed like a simple personnel adjustment became the turning point of the semifinal. The context matters. The pair of Thu Trang and Khanh Ly are the 2026 world champions, the most prestigious gold medal of their careers. But in the group stage, they lost to Laos 1-2 in the opener. Two wins over Myanmar and Malaysia helped them advance, but their form was still in question. South Korea, a rising team, used the opening minutes well to take the lead. Following the matches at ASIAD 20, I noticed a key feature of women's doubles sepak takraw: each side has only two players on the court. A substitution is more than a positional change. It changes the rhythm of the rallies. Hong Lien brought accurate finishing. Vietnam's 12-point run came from that change. In the second game, the slow start repeated. South Korea led 5-1 and then 7-3. Again, Hong Lien shone at the decisive moment, helping Vietnam win 15-13. The 2-0 victory sent Vietnam to the final against the Philippines at 7:40 a.m. on September 29. The story of Vietnam's fighting spirit is real. But the analyst should look at the blind spot. Vietnam started slowly in both games. In a 15-point game, trailing 4-1 or 5-1 is a large gap. A stronger opponent with good serving skills could exploit it. The Philippines are rated lower, but Vietnam's dominant head-to-head history cannot replace current form. Experts say the gold chance is very bright. I believe the final will give a more exact answer than any prediction. On the same day, the Vietnamese men's regu team stopped in the semifinal and took bronze. That result is a reminder that the women's success is a bright spot from one elite pair rather than squad depth. People call Thu Trang, Khanh Ly and Hong Lien golden-star warriors. I call them path-openers. Before the final, the key question is whether Coach Nguyen Thi Vui will start Hong Lien from the beginning, and whether the team can escape the slow-start habit. If they do, they will show real change, beyond a lucky moment.