The Vietnam national team aims to defeat Indonesia on their home turf

The goalless draw against Singapore at My Dinh Stadium has made the situation in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN Cup much more tense for Vietnam. After a favorable position following a 7-0 victory over Timor Leste, coach Kim Sang Sik's squad must now beat Indonesia to keep their fate in their own hands.

Vietnam has now dropped to third place with 4 points, trailing behind Singapore (7 points, with one more match played) and Indonesia (6 points after 2 matches).

This makes the away trip to Pakansari Stadium on August 3 no longer just a big match but a decisive battle that could determine the ticket to the next round. Indonesia \, the opponent, will be facing a Vietnam team that needs nothing less than a win to regain control of their destiny.

This is undoubtedly the toughest challenge forcoach Kim Sang Siksince the start of the tournament. Indonesia boasts a quality squad, home-field advantage, and the support of tens of thousands of fans.

Pakansari has also been a place where Vietnamese football has experienced unpleasant memories many times. Therefore, if they want to overcome the strongest opponent in Group A, the first thing the Vietnam team needs to bring is not tactics but team spirit and belief in the collective.

The draw with Singapore left many lessons. Vietnam controlled 54% of possession and took 22 shots, but only 2 were on target. Those numbers highlight the biggest issue at the moment: the ability to convert chances into goals.

The students ofcoach Kim Sang Sikcreated numerous opportunities, but they all ended with rushed finishes, lack of composure, or shots hitting the crossbar. Unfortunately, when they failed to score, the team nearly paid the price if goalkeeper Le Giang hadn't made a crucial save late in the match.

Coach Kim Sang Sik will certainly need to spend a lot of time working on finishing. Against Indonesia, opportunities will not be as plentiful as against Singapore. Each space appears only for a few seconds, and if missed, Vietnam could fully pay the price.

Another issue is the over-reliance on one direction of ball distribution. Tien Anh was easily read, Xuan Son was tightly marked, and the left flank was ineffective.

Indonesia is a much better organized defensive team than Singapore. If Vietnam continues to play one-dimensionally, coach John Herdman's defense will find it even easier to neutralize them.

Beyond tactical factors, the form of key players is also causing concern for the coaching staff.

Xuan Son is no longer as explosive as he was during the2024 ASEAN Cup. The naturalized striker needs to regain his sharpness at the right time, as he remains the biggest reliance in attack.

Captain Quang Hai also had an unconvincing performance. According to Soccerway statistics, the midfielder was rated only 6.4, among the lowest in the squad. His ability to control the game and make decisive passes did not meet expectations.

Meanwhile, Dinh Bac was still energetic but his finishing ability hasn't satisfied coach Kim Sang Sik. The rare bright spot after the draw with Singapore was the appearance of Tai Loc. After coming on as a substitute, the Ninh Binh player had one shot that hit the crossbar.

Tai Loc's ability to connect midfield and his clever left-footed handling could become a game-changer for Vietnam at Pakansari.

On the other hand, Indonesia is certainly not a perfect team. Despite beating Timor Leste 3-0, they struggled a lot against the opponent's disciplined defensive system and only truly exploded when playing with a man advantage.

Indonesia's defense still leaves gaps behind the center-backs, especially in fast transition situations. This is an opportunity for pacey players to exploit.

Most importantly, the Vietnam team needs to enter the match with confidence. One draw cannot erase the impressive run of results that coach Kim Sang Sik and his players have built over the past period.