HIGHLIGHTS Indonesia 0-3 Vietnam: Kim Sang Sik's 'Magic', Vietnam National Team Secures ASEAN Cup 2026 Semifinal Berth

Leaving the unsatisfactory draw with Singapore in the past, the Vietnam national team showed it was merely a "mishap" by earning a compelling win against Indonesia at home, locking in their place in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals.

"Magic" Kim Sang Sik

When Coach Kim Sang Sik admitted he had made a mistake by deploying Quang Hai and Hoang Duc as central midfielders against Singapore, experts only expected him to replace at least one of those two players in the match against Indonesia.

But no one anticipated the South Korean manager would take an even more surprising approach: he not only started Le Pham Thanh Long in place of Quang Hai in midfield but also left Van Hau, Xuan Son, and Hoang Hen on the bench, giving opportunities to Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Hai Long, and Thanh Loc in the starting lineup.

Coach Kim's adjustments brought immediate results, as Vietnam not only defended solidly but also delivered a stunning early blow to Indonesia with goals from Van Vi and Hai Long in the first 15 minutes.

Hai Long passed the ball to Hoang Duc, who then threaded a through ball to Van Vi to open the scoring. Shortly after, Vietnam launched a quick counterattack, and Le Pham Thanh Long spread the ball to the left flank for Hai Long to break through and score.

In both situations, the Indonesian goalkeeper was fooled as he tried to anticipate Van Vi and Hai Long's moves, both of whom found the net with decisive shots into the near corner.

Hai Long scored the second goal and indirectly assisted the opening goal. Le Pham Thanh Long controlled the midfield superbly and set up Hai Long for his goal.

Bui Hoang Viet Anh defended with tenacity and intensity. Tai Loc drew Indonesian defenders to create space for his teammates. Xuan Son came on as a substitute for Tai Loc and delivered the "final blow" with the goal that sealed the 3-0 victory. All of them left their mark.

But the decisive "goal" came from… Coach Kim Sang Sik, who orchestrated this impressive victory for Vietnam with his highly precise personnel adjustments.

"Accurate aim," solid defense

Against Singapore, Vietnam took 22 shots but only managed 2 on target and failed to score. Many chances fell to Hoang Hen, Dinh Bac, Xuan Son, and Thanh Chung under favorable conditions, yet they couldn't find the back of Singapore's net.

Against Indonesia, our "aim" was much more accurate. Evidence: Vietnam needed only 10 shots, with 6 on target and 3 goals scored. An extremely impressive conversion rate.

We had less possession than Indonesia, and we didn't need to apply constant pressure, but every attack from the white-shirted players carried a threat to the hosts' goal thanks to the flexible movement of our forwards to create space.

Having two early goals made it much easier for Vietnam to play, as Indonesia's tactical plan fell apart and they were forced to push up to find a goal, leaving large gaps behind for our players to exploit.

Not only did we capitalize on opportunities efficiently, but we also excelled in defense. Despite having less possession than Indonesia, the hosts were unable to play the way they wanted.

Thom Haye was closely marked whenever he appeared on Vietnam's side of the field. Baker was carefully handled by our center-backs. The connections between the hosts' main attacking threats were nearly severed, and the 1.96m striker Baker rarely had the ball to shoot, whether in the air or on the ground.

Secure spot in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals

The victory over Indonesia propelled Vietnam to the top of Group A in the ASEAN Cup 2026 with 7 points after three matches. In the final group stage round, we face Cambodia while Singapore (7 points) and Indonesia (6 points) face each other in a decisive match.

If Singapore does not lose to Indonesia, Vietnam will advance to the semifinals regardless of their result against Cambodia.

If Indonesia beats Singapore, considering the head-to-head record with Singapore (a 0-0 draw) but with a vastly superior goal difference (currently +9 compared to Singapore's +3), Vietnam would only be eliminated if they lose to Cambodia by an extremely large margin while Singapore loses narrowly to Indonesia.

This scenario exists only in theory. With any other result against Cambodia, Vietnam will advance to the semifinals. In short, with the victory over Indonesia, the "golden star warriors" have essentially secured their place in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals.