Vietnam coach happy with new formation in Indonesia victory

"Normally I use the 3-4-3 formation. But in this game, we needed to win, so I switched it to 3-5-2. We played well in the first half but couldn't score. In the second half, I told the players to not only attack from the flanks but also from the midfield. In general, they did a great job," Park said in a post-match interview.

"I want to thank the players. Vietnam still have two games left and our goal is to win at least one of them. We will stop celebrating the next day and put this victory aside to focus on the next game."

Vietnam faced tough opposition from Indonesia, who received six yellow cards in this game, including one for their coach. The fierce and violent play of Indonesia caused the game to be paused multiple times and many Vietnam players were badly fouled. Midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh had to leave the field early due to an injury.

The Golden Dragons finally scored the opener with Nguyen Tien Linh’s goal. After that, things got much easier for Vietnam with three more goals from Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Cong Phuong and Vu Van Thanh.

Nguyen Quang Hai (C) celebrates his goal in victory over Indonesia on June 7, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa.

Midfielder Hai, commenting on Indonesia's aggressive performance, said: "We knew Indonesia would play like that. The important thing is we were able to keep our heads cool. It was a difficult game against a young and passionate team. After a challenging first half, coach Park made some adjustments and we played much better.

"This is a well-deserved victory and it’s for the fans. We will keep the momentum going in the next games,"

In this game, Hai received a yellow card. Plus other yellows in the previous games, the 24-year-old will be absent in the next match with Malaysia. Tuan Anh will also have to sit out the next game due to injury. Without these two key midfielders, Vietnam can face a disadvantage against Malaysia.

"We have prepared at least two backup options for a position and now is the time to use them. Hai's absence doesn't have to be a bad thing. He already had a muscle problem so he will have more time to rest and prepare for the game with UAE," Park said.

Vietnam will play Malaysia on June 11 and the UAE on the 15th. They need four points from these games to advance to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers.