The confrontations between Indonesia and Vietnam always bring drama, regardless of which tournament takes place. Therefore, the rematch at Pakansari stadium on August 3rd (Vietnam time) within the framework of ASEAN Cup 2026 is expected to continue to create an exciting match, especially when both teams are facing a great opportunity to win tickets to the semi-finals.
Indonesia has never won the Southeast Asian championship despite being in the final six times. At this year's ASEAN Cup, the archipelago team continues to be considered one of the top candidates for the championship. If they defeat Vietnam, coach John Herdman's team will have 9 points after three legs and will definitely reach the semi-finals regardless of the result of the last leg against Singapore.
In case they cannot win all 3 points, Indonesia will have to wait until the away match at Jalan Besar Stadium of Singapore to decide their fate. However, their opponent this time is the Vietnamese team, a team that is very eager to regain its position.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, coach John Herdman expressed great respect for the Vietnamese team.
Vietnam is a very strong team. They have an experienced coach, who understands how to build a winning team and knows how to maximize the ability of domestic and naturalized players. The Vietnamese team is very well organized and always plays with a spirit of dedication to the national colors" - the Canadian strategist shared.
He also emphasized that Vietnam has prepared more carefully when gathering from the end of June and has gone through 7 unbeaten matches before the tournament. Meanwhile, Indonesia is still in the process of completing the squad.
We just entered our third match together. The whole team is still developing day by day and needs to continue to improve through each match. Vietnam is better prepared, but that cannot be an excuse" - Herdman said.
After the first two matches, Indonesia scored 8 goals and only conceded one. However, this captain believes that his team still has many points to improve.
This is an opportunity for us to test progress against one of the championship candidates. Matches like this are always what players want. Vietnam also has a lot of motivation, so I believe that fans will witness a quality match" - Herdman added.
On the other side of the battle line, coach Kim Sang-sik also affirmed that this is a match of decisive significance for the Vietnamese team's chances of going further.
This match is extremely important for the goal of winning a ticket to the semi-finals. We understand that we need to win. Playing away from home always has certain difficulties, but the whole team is ready and very determined" - the Korean coach emphasized.
One of the names that the Vietnamese defense must be particularly wary of is striker Mitchell Baker. The 19-year-old striker, 1m96 tall, scored 4 goals in just the first 2 matches at the ASEAN Cup 2026 and quickly became a phenomenon of the tournament. With superior physique and effective aerial combat and finishing ability, Baker is likened by Indonesian fans to "new Erling Haaland".
Coach Kim Sang-sik admitted that the coaching staff had carefully studied the opponent and paid special attention to this young striker: "We analyzed Indonesia's first 2 matches. Baker is an ideal striker with an ideal physique, plays aerial balls very well and has the ability to choose positions effectively. However, Vietnam has not conceded any goals at the tournament and our defense is confident enough to cope.
The captain of the Vietnamese team also emphasized that blocking Baker is not the task of just one defender, but requires the synchronous coordination of the entire defense system.
Before the third match, Singapore temporarily leads Group A with 7 points after 3 matches, Indonesia is second with 6 points but has only played 2 matches, and Vietnam is third with 4 points. Therefore, the confrontation at Pakansari Stadium is considered a pivotal match, which may decide the outcome of the race for tickets to the semi-finals of Group A of ASEAN Cup 2026.
The match between Indonesia and the Vietnamese team will take place at 8:30 PM tonight (August 3rd).
