NOT SHOWN ON TV: Vietnam U19 assistant coach pushed down by Indonesian player sparks outrage

The fallout from Vietnam U19's defeat against Indonesia U19 intensifies after a disputed moment on the touchline was recently disclosed, a scene nearly invisible to television audiences.

The match between Indonesia U19 and Vietnam U19 in the final round of Group A at the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship lived up to the intensity of a "group final." Both teams entered the clash aiming for the top spot and a direct ticket to the semifinals, creating a tense battle from start to finish at Sumatera Utara Main Stadium on June 7.

Fierce challenges occurred constantly, forcing Japanese referee Ryo Tanimoto to pause play multiple times to cool down the heated atmosphere on the field. However, post-match attention focused not only on the gameplay but also on a controversial incident that took place outside the touchline at a critical moment.

Specifically, after Evandra Florasta scored to make it 2-1 for Indonesia U19, several home team players ran into Vietnam U19's side of the field to celebrate. While crossing the away team's technical area, the group of young Indonesian players reportedly collided with and pushed down assistant coach Nguyen Ngoc Duy. This footage quickly spread and became a widely discussed topic.

The incident involving assistant coach Nguyen Ngoc Duy is not the first time Vietnam U19's technical area became a focal point during the match. Earlier, during a throw-in situation, Fabio Azkairawan took a run-up from a considerable distance and collided with an assistant of coach Yutaka Ikeuchi who was placing water bottles in the coaching staff's designated area of Vietnam U19.

After reviewing the incident, referee Tanimoto showed a red card to a member of Vietnam U19. This further intensified the already tense atmosphere on the pitch. Historically, encounters between Vietnam and Indonesia at all national team levels have always been highly competitive, and this match was no exception.

In terms of gameplay, Indonesia U19 opened the scoring in the 22nd minute through Reno Salampessy. Despite facing heavy pressure, Vietnam U19 persistently sought opportunities and equalized in the 73rd minute via Nguyen Quoc Khanh. As the match neared its end, Evandra Florasta became the hero with a goal that sealed a 2-1 victory for the hosts.

This result allowed Indonesia U19 to top Group A and advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Vietnam U19 dropped to second place and had to wait for results from other groups. According to the tournament format, only the three group winners and the best second-placed team qualify for the knockout stage. After the group stage concluded, Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's team temporarily stood among those competing for a spot with 3 points, awaiting the final verdict from the matches scheduled on June 8 and 9.