Losing 3-7 on Thai soil, Vietnam misses the Southeast Asian final

Vietnam’s U19 futsal squad could not pull off a surprise, losing 3-7 to Indonesia U19 in the semifinals of the Southeast Asian U19 futsal championship, thereby missing the final match.

Vietnam U19 futsal team halted at the semifinals Southeast Asian U19 futsal tournament after a 3-7 defeat to Indonesia U19 in the match held on the afternoon of December 27 at the Gymnasium Nonthaburi (Thailand). Despite great effort, the players in red still missed the chance to reach the final.

Starting the semifinal, Vietnam U19 entered the game with strong determination but soon faced setbacks. At the 3rd minute, Dafa Erlangga capitalized on a powerful breakthrough to open the scoring for Indonesia U19. However, just one minute later, luck favored the red team when Nguyễn Thắc Hiếu’s shot deflected off an opponent’s leg, leveling the score.

The joy for Vietnam U19 was short-lived. A passing error by goalkeeper Tuấn Phong in the 5th minute allowed Haekel Ayyasy Caserio to easily score, restoring Indonesia’s lead. Less than a minute later, Sulaiman Rizki Hidayat took advantage of Vietnam’s defensive confusion to increase the score to 3-1.

Nevertheless, Vietnam U19 displayed a resilient fighting spirit. At the 8th minute, Vũ Đại Học scored to narrow the gap to 2-3, igniting hope for his team. But before the first half ended, the coordination between Reivan Revian and Dafa Erlangga enabled Indonesia to score their fourth goal, closing the first 20 minutes with a 4-2 advantage.

In the second half, Vietnam U19 made adjustments by bringing in Trương Văn Khang to guard the goal, who performed quite solidly. However, under constant pressure, the red team could not hold firm. At the 24th minute, Reivan Revian scored, extending Indonesia’s lead to 5-2.

With nothing to lose, Vietnam U19 employed a power play strategy from the 29th minute. This effort was rewarded by Quang Huy’s goal in the 33rd minute, reducing the score to 3-5. Yet, pushing forward left many gaps in Vietnam’s defense. In the final minutes, Indonesia’s goalkeeper Guntur Rochmatdhani scored twice, sealing a 7-3 victory.

In the other match, group A winners Thailand U19 will face Malaysia U19, the runners-up of group B. The winners of both matches will advance to the final.

This loss means Vietnam U19 futsal misses the chance to reach the final, but the team’s overall performance still shows many positive signs for the future. The young players fought until the last minute and are expected to gain valuable experience in upcoming tournaments.