Indonesia didn’t hide the intention to press Vietnam and score early right from the start. They got their first shot on target in the first minute, but goalkeeper Filip Nguyen saved it.
Meanwhile, Vietnam didn’t have the best form in the first half, due to the fact that their midfield couldn’t keep possession like they did in the game with Japan. The team also missed their star Nguyen Dinh Bac in this game due to injury, and his replacement Nguyen Van Tung didn’t meet expectations.
Indonesia squad, with players that have better physique, often won in one on one situations and committed many fouls.
Just when Vietnam gradually gained possession, Indonesia found the opening goal. In the 40th minute, Nguyen Thanh Binh pulled the shirt of Rafael Struick inside the box and the referee pointed at the spot. Asanwi Mangkualam made no mistake and converted the penalty to get Indonesia ahead.
In the second half, Vietnam made two substitutions, one of them played well and the other didn’t. After coming on, Khuat Van Khang had several chances to score, but his shot still lacked a bit accuracy to succeed. In the 55th minute, a pass from Vo Minh Trong put Nguyen Tuan Anh in a great position to score but he put it over the bar.
Meanwhile, the other substitution, Le Pham Thanh Long failed to make an impact. After receiving a yellow card in the 83rd minute, he got another eight minutes later after fouling Marselino Ferdinan.
In the remaining time, despite trying their best, a 10-men Vietnam couldn’t crack through the solid defense of Indonesia.
The game ended with a 0-1 defeat for Vietnam and this also eliminated them from Asian Cup group stage early. They will play the last match with Iraq on Jan. 24.