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Despite trying their best in the final minutes, Saudi Arabia couldn't find a way into Vietnam's net. The 0-1 defeat against Vietnam officially knocked the host nation out of the competition. Meanwhile, Vietnam topped Group A and will avoid top title contender Japan in the quarterfinals.
Despite creating way less chance than Saudi Arabia, Vietnam got the goal thanks to a brilliant attempt by Dinh Bac. He ran into half-space, received a pass from Nguyen Ngoc My, penerated the box and dribbled past three players before unleashing a shot from a tight angle to get Vietnam ahead.
Two consecutive wins against Jordan and Kyrgyzstan put Vietnam at the top of the group with 6 points. Meanwhile, a disastrous defeat against Jordan dropped Saudi Arabia to third place with 3 points. The hosts have no other choice but win this game to guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's team will guarantee first place in Group A if they avoid defeat against Saudi Arabia in the final match. Even with a loss, Vietnam would still advance if Jordan fail to beat Kyrgyzstan. In the event that Vietnam lose and Jordan win, creating a three-way tie at six points, Vietnam's fate would depend on the margin of their defeat.
Vietnam would still qualify when losing with one or two goals, as their current goal difference of +2 would keep them ahead of Jordan (-1).
Elimination would only occur under quite specific circumstances, specifically if Vietnam suffered a defeat by three goals or more. A 0-3 defeat would see Vietnam fall behind Jordan on goals scored, while a larger margin would eliminate them on goal difference.
