Football friendly: Vietnam drop victory over Indonesia

Vietnam took a 2-0 lead within eight minutes of Sunday’s match, however, conceded two goals in only two minutes, as a result the team missed out on a win against hosts Indonesia on late October 9.

Monday, October 10, 2016 05:36

Vietnam (in white) tie 2-2 with hosts Indonesia (in red) after taking a 2-0 lead within eight minutes of the first half of a friendly match at Maguwoharjo Stadium in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, October 9. (Credit: goal.com)

In a series of friendly matches to prepare for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2016 later this year, Vietnam have raised expectations particularly after the team enjoyed a 5-2 victory over the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea a few days ago.

The match at Maguwoharjo Stadium in Yogyakarta, Indonesia yesterday was regarded as a real challenge for Coach Huu Thang and his players, as they faced a familiar coach with Vietnamese football and Thang’s counterpart – Coach Alfred Riedl, in addition the team faced the absence of several key players, including Cong Phuong, Tuan Anh, Xuan Truong and Que Ngoc Hai.

Playing short ball with rapid speed, Vietnam put pressure on the hosts right from the first minutes and scored the opener after four minutes of game time, thanks to Van Thang’s beautiful long shot from over 30m away.

In the 12^th minute, following a pass from Trong Hoang into the penalty area that completely left the Indonesian defensive line behind, Vu Minh Tuan netted an assertive goal to widen the gap to 2-0.

Enjoying a two goal lead after less than 15 minutes of play, Vietnam appeared set for victory but after a few moments without attention, the team of Coach Huu Thang let their opponents equalise in the first half.

After suffering two conceded goals, Coach Riedl’s players slowed-down the game speed and sought chances to narrow the gap. In the 26^th minute, Zulham took a precise free kick, beating goalkeeper Nguyen Manh and reducing the score to 1-2 for Indonesia.

After that, Indonesia actively strengthened efforts in the search for an equaliser, and only less than two minutes later, Vietnam’s defensive line made a mistake, letting Irfan Bachdim cross the ball into the net and level the scoring.

Coach Huu Thang made several substitutions in the second half but they did not prove effective as attackers missed a range of chances.

Increasing the game’s speed seeking for a third goal also left Vietnam vulnerable to a succession of dangerous attacks from the hosts. However, Vietnam’s defenders in the second half played well to block the home side’ strikers.

The 2-2 tie was kept until the last minutes of the match.

After the battle, the two teams will meet again at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on November 9 before entering the AFF Cup later this year.