Vietnam advance to AFF Cup 2022 final after easy win over Indonesia

Vietnam is through to the final of the AFF Mitsubishi Cup 2022 following a 2-0 win over Indonesia in the semi-final second leg on January 9 at My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi.

Vietnam's striker Nguyen Tien Linh (red, 22) scores his second goal with a header in the 47th minute during the semi-final second leg between Vietnam and Indonesia on January 9. Photo: Ngoc Tu/The Hanoi Times

A goalless draw in the first leg meant Vietnam would be at risk if Indonesia managed to score an away goal.

As usual, Vietnam started the match in a 3-5-2 formation. Playing at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi gave Vietnamese players a bit of confidence and a home advantage.

In the 3rd minute, striker Nguyen Tien Linh scored the first goal for Vietnam after he broke the offside trap and received the long pass from playmaker Do Hung Dung.

After the first goal, Vietnam’s midfielders Do Hung Dung, Nguyen Hoang Duc, and Nguyen Quang Hai performed well to control the tempo of the game and their technical advantages helped other players explore counter-attack opportunities.

With the 3-5-2 formation, Vietnam easily broke down all attacking moves by Indonesian players and put the opponents at risk of losing self-control.

Vietnam doubled the lead in the 47th minute as striker Nguyen Tien Linh scored his second goal with a header from the corner kick by captain Do Hung Dung.

Indonesian players seemed to collapse after the second goal and allowed Vietnamese players to have several chances.

The two-goal lead allowed Vietnam to withdraw key players to avoid injuries and prepare for the upcoming final.

As the match was ending, some players of both teams lost self-control, especially Indonesian players as they made hard tackles at the Vietnamese.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Vietnam’s head coach Park Hang-Seo said that he was pleased with the performance of Vietnamese players.

Park said that Vietnam tried to explore the space behind Indonesia’s defensive line with dropped long passes, which was a right decision.

Mentioning the end of his journey with Vietnam, coach Park said that he was proud of the players who had got better from one match to another.

He also thanked the coach and assistant staff that had been a great help during his term in Vietnam.

Coach Park also hoped Vietnamese players will fight with the best spirit and determination to win the final and bring glory to Vietnamese fans.

Monday’s win was also the first time Vietnam defeated Indonesia in an AFF Cup tournament in the last 26 years.

Vietnam has also kept the sheet clean for all six matches of the tournament and scored total of 14 goals. The upcoming final stage, with the first leg and second leg, will be the chance for Vietnam to become the first national football team in ASEAN to keep their net clean in a tournament.

Vietnam will meet the winner between Malaysia and Thailand in the final of the AFF Cup 2022. This will be Vietnam’s fourth AFF Cup final after 1998, 2008, and 2018.

Malaysia beat Thailand by one goal margin in the first leg of the semi-final. The two teams will meet again for the second leg on January 10.

The first leg of the final will take place on January 13 and the second leg will be on January 16.