According to CNN Indonesia, the Indonesian team used 3 new players in the starting lineup in the match against Vietnam, including Ahmad Maulana, Rivaldo Pakpahan and Alfredo Tata.
Besides, some players who have just debuted for the national team in the match against Myanmar such as Cahya Supriyadi, Kadek Arel, Dony Tri, Alfrianto Nico, Zanadin Fariz, Arkhan Kaka, Victor Dethan and Robi Darwis... will also continue to be used at Viet Tri Stadium.
Facing that young squad, the Vietnamese team had to struggle to find a way into goalkeeper Cahya’s goal. Striker Tien Linh was closely guarded and did not have much space to operate. He had a touch that created an opportunity for Quang Hai to score, but it was a bit lucky.
Statistics show that the Vietnamese team controlled the ball up to 71.9%, launched 18 shots but only 4 were on target, scoring only 1 goal. On the Indonesian side, they had 2 shots but also 1 time almost made Filip Nguyen concede a goal.
Holding all the advantages from the field, the force, the level of the players to the time of rest and recovery before, the playing style of the Vietnamese team is generally not convincing. The team has too few coherent, innovative combinations that can penetrate the opponent's solid defense.
Just like the match against Laos, Vietnam was stuck in the first half and only became more effective in the second half. Apart from a certain position like Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung, Tien Linh or Hoang Duc, the team's two wings were not as effective as expected.
Overall, the Vietnamese team has not yet reached its best form, leading to inconsistent coordination and not as sharp a finish as required.
However, the victory over Indonesia is of great significance to the Vietnamese team. The team has broken the streak of 3 consecutive losses against this opponent, helping the players confidently aim for the big goal ahead.
The 3 points earned help the Vietnamese team open up a great opportunity to top the table and win a ticket to the semi-finals as group winners. The two remaining opponents of the Vietnamese team, the Philippines and Myanmar, both played inconsistently, with only 2 and 1 points respectively.
With a large and balanced squad, coach Kim Sang-sik can completely rotate the squad in the next 2 matches. Players who rarely played in the 2 matches against Laos and Indonesia can completely be given the opportunity to play in the remaining 2 group stage matches, without too much disruption in the playing style.
Above all, some veterans of the Vietnamese team are playing up to expectations. Quang Hai has made a difference in the two matches. He entered the field in the second half of the match against Laos and helped the home team change the game with sharp passes. Against the Indonesian team, the player born in 1997 was also an energetic player, shining when the team needed him most.
Quang Hai is on his way to regaining his best form in the regional arena. Fans are expecting him to reproduce his excellent form from the 2018 AFF Cup - a tournament in which the Vietnamese team won the championship and Quang Hai was voted the most valuable player.
Besides, the steadiness and composure of Hoang Duc, Bui Tien Dung, Thanh Chung, Filip Nguyen… are also plus points for the Vietnamese team. Their roles will be shown more clearly in the upcoming matches, when the challenges for the Vietnamese team increase more and more.
