>>> Viet Hung’s stoppage-time header hands Vietnam win against Indonesia
The reigning Asian runners-up had produced a perfect start to their qualification campaign with a six-star triumph over Brunei; however, they unexpectedly played a hard-fought match against Indonesia on Sunday.
Park’s troops created a number of opportunities to score throughout the match, but had to wait until the third minute of the second-half injury time to celebrate a goal, as Trieu Viet Hung’s close-range header handed them a narrow 1-0 win over coach Indra Sjafri’s side.
“It was a lucky win for us today. I am not really satisfied with our style of play,” Park Hang-seo told reporters during a press briefing after the match.
“The players’ teamwork did not meet my requirements. They played rather personally and lacked cooperation on the field. In addition, they didn’t properly perform their attacking and defence tasks as assigned”.
The Republic of Korean tactician also admitted that Vietnam U23s lacked the time to make full preparations for the tournament.
The unexpected defeat against Vietnam put an end to Indonesia’s dream of advancing to the 2020 AFC U23 finals. Speaking to the media, head coach Indra Sjafri showed regrets as his side conceded a goal in the last seconds of play.
Indonesia head coach Indra Sjafri admits that his team lack a bit of luck in their defeat against Vietnam U23s.
“It was an interesting game. Indonesia took appropriate measures to cope with Vietnam. Our players completed 90% of the coaching staff’s tactical intentions. We neutralised most of the attacks deployed by the Vietnamese side, excluding the last-minute goal,” Sjafri said.
“I would like to congratulate Vietnam. I hope you can make it through to the final tournament in Thailand next year. Football never stops, and after this loss, Indonesia will work on development plans for the future”.
After the crucial win against Indonesia, Vietnam U23s are now ranked second in Group K with six points, behind Thailand U23s on goal difference. A victory over the Thais on March 26 will ensure Park’s troops take first place in Group K and a direct ticket to the 2020 AFC U23 finals.