Laotian female referee 'stole' a goal from the Vietnamese women's national team; her identity revealed, fans outraged!

Controversy erupted in the SEA Games 33 final when Bich Thuy's goal was disallowed. The Laotian female referee caused outrage with a decision that directly disadvantaged the Vietnamese women's team. The identity of the referee was quickly revealed amidst a wave of fierce criticism.

The goal was "stolen" amidst the erupting cheers.

The controversial incident occurred at a time when the Vietnamese women's team was dominating the game and launching several dangerous attacks. From the right wing, midfielder Van Su displayed skillful technique, dribbling past the Philippine defender before delivering a perfect cross into the penalty area. With her killer instinct, Bich Thuy surged forward like lightning, leaping high to head the ball into the net from close range, beating the opposing goalkeeper.

While Bich Thuy and her teammates were celebrating wildly by the sidelines, the referee's whistle suddenly blew, much to everyone's surprise. The assistant referee had already raised the flag for offside, meaning the opening goal was disallowed. The entire stadium fell silent for a moment before erupting in a chorus of protests. The Vietnamese women's team players were stunned, trying to explain to the referee, but the final decision remained unchanged.

Solid evidence from slow-motion replays: Offside does not exist.

The fans' outrage reached its peak when television stations replayed slow-motion footage of the incident. The clear images showed that at the moment Van Su made the pass, both she and Bich Thuy were standing in front of the Philippines' defense. Bich Thuy was even quite a distance away from the last opposing defender.

This was a serious professional error, as it was an offside situation that simply didn't exist. In modern football, mistakes like this are usually corrected by VAR, but at the SEA Games, where refereeing technology isn't widely used, the Vietnamese women's team suffered a clear injustice. Being "robbed" of a goal in the final – where every opportunity was precious – was a major blow to the morale of Coach Mai Duc Chung's players, and also directly helped the Philippines avoid a certain goal and luckily keep a clean sheet.

The identity of the FIFA assistant referee has been revealed, sparking a wave of criticism.

Immediately after the match was interrupted, the identity of the assistant referee was quickly tracked down by netizens. It was identified as Chanthavong Phutsavan, a Lao national. What puzzled and angered the public even more was her background. Ms. Phutsavan is a FIFA-certified assistant referee, having officiated at several continental-level tournaments such as the AFC U20 Women's Championship and the 2024 AFF Women's Cup.

It is unacceptable that a highly experienced referee with FIFA credentials would make such a fundamentally flawed decision in one of the most important regional matches. Many football experts believe this mistake was not simply a misjudgment but also reflected a lack of concentration or a problem with her officiating. Referee Phutsavan's decision "rescued" the Philippines from a difficult situation, while forcing the Vietnamese women's team to play under pressure. Regardless of the final outcome, this "imaginary offside" situation will undoubtedly be remembered as a dark stain on refereeing at the 33rd SEA Games.

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