Van Hau (number 5) is no stranger to fans and players of Indonesia after scoring a double against their U23 team in the final of SEA Games 30 in 2019 and causing a lot of difficulties for them in the first leg of the semifinals this AFF Cup. For Indonesia's players and fans, Hau is a villain.
In the second leg on Monday, Hau and Asnawi Mangkualam, who both played on the same flank, had many intense duels.
Vietnam defeated Indonesia 2-0 in the match.
In the 34th minute, Hau tried to dribble past Mangkualam (number 14), but the Indonesian player used his knee to stop the Vietnamese full-back. The challenge hurt both players and the referee called it a foul.
Players on both teams immediately started an altercation after the clash. Defender Nguyen Thanh Chung (R, 3rd) glared at Mangkualam and accused him of making a dangerous challenge, while other players pushed and shoved. None of them was booked.
Striker Nguyen Tien Linh, who scored Vietnam's two goals in this match, and defender Que Ngoc Hai, had enough composure to cool the situation.
Vietnam's coaching staff, including head coach Park Hang-seo, also entered the pitch in response to the challenge from Mangkualam. The Indonesia wing-back received a yellow card for the foul.
Four minutes later, Hau (R) sprinted down the left flank to stop Mangkualam from starting an attack. Hau's right arm moved up at that moment, and Mangkualam fell down and covered his face. The referee didn't have a clear view of this play to decide if Hau really hit Mangkualam, but still penalized Hau.
A few minutes later, the match heated up again when Ngoc Hai (number 3) tried to stop striker Dendy Sulistyawan (number 11) from finishing.
Indonesia players surrounded the referee and said that Hai elbowed Dendy in his face.
Indonesia head coach Shin Tae-yong reacted on the sidelines. However, the camera angles showed that Hai's challenge was legit.
In the second half, Hau (number 5) continued to be the target of Indonesia's players. He was often tackled or got provoked during set-pieces, but still played until the end, while Mangkualam was subbed out in the 57th minute.
During a corner by Vietnam, Hau got pulled down by midfielder Ricky Kambuaya and the referee gave him a yellow card.
Midfielder Marc Klok then suddenly fell down while standing next to Hau, claiming that Hau hit him in the face. But the slow motion replay showed that Hau had not struck Klok, and that Klok acted on purpose in an attempt to get the Vietnamese defender booked again.
Indonesia committed 17 fouls in this game, compared to Vietnam's 12. But that rough playing style didn't help the visitors score. Vietnam won the match 2-0 thanks to Tien Linh's double.
After the game, Hau (C) stayed and encouraged the Indonesian players. This is Vietnam's fourth time in the final of the AFF Cup, after 1998, 2008 and 2018.
Hau (L) with goalkeeper Dang Van Lam.
The 23-year-old attended the U20 FIFA World Cup in 2017 at the age of 17.
A year later, he became a regular starter on the national team under coach Park Hang-seo, which finished as the runner-up in the 2018 U23 AFC Championship and the winner of the 2018 AFF Cup.
In 2019, Hau scored a brace in the final match of SEA Games 30, helping Vietnam beat Indonesia 3-0. Due to an injury, he was absent from the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup, the 2020 AFF Cup and SEA Games 31.
