Vietnam team's humiliating defeat: Will the ticket to the Asian Cup finals go to Malaysia?

The heavy 0-4 loss to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium last night (June 10) showed many shortcomings of the Vietnamese team, such as a lack of variation in their playing style, or a squad that no longer has enough depth to compete with opponents that are constantly changing like Malaysia.

Thanh Chung's unfortunate injury

Faced with pressure from all sides from host Malaysia, from the pressure in the stands to the talented naturalized players (9/11 of Malaysia's starting players are naturalized), the Vietnamese team chose to enter the match knowing themselves and their opponents.

Thanh Chung (16) and the Vietnamese defense were completely defeated.

Vietnam team helpless amid siege of tall Malaysian players

Photo: NGOC LINH

Although in theory, coach Kim Sang-sik used a 3-4-3 formation, but with 3 attacking players including Nguyen Van Vi, Nguyen Hai Long and Chau Ngoc Quang, it was no different than the Vietnamese team playing with a handicap of... strikers, as no player tended to play as a striker. Mr. Kim's intention was to use the attacking line to continuously press to prevent Malaysia from developing the ball from the defense.

The attacking "trident" is also the first line of defense of the Vietnamese team, with the sole purpose of creating a tight and "condensed" formation with the back line, blocking all of Malaysia's attacks.

Malaysia's Australian coach has had a great victory

Malaysian player (yellow shirt) is very alert

Photo: Ngoc Linh

The Vietnamese team effectively blocked Malaysia in the first half. However, the injury of central defender Nguyen Thanh Chung (Mr. Kim had to send Pham Xuan Manh in to replace him) made the away team's defense system shaky. Without a central defender who was good at commanding and covering, the Vietnamese team was confused by Malaysia's passing and cutting, especially in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

At the same time, against players of South American and European origin who are fast and strong, the Vietnamese players seemed to be out of luck in the competition, both in the air and in the low balls. The situation that most clearly showed the difference in physical strength occurred at the end of the first half, when captain Do Duy Manh let Arif Aiman ​​easily get past him and face the goal.

During the half dominated by Malaysia, the bright spot for the Vietnamese team was goalkeeper Nguyen Filip with two excellent saves. The goalkeeper with Vietnamese and Czech bloodlines flew spectacularly to block Joao Vitor Figueiredo's close-range header, or then corrected Duy Manh's mistake by swinging his arm to block Aiman's tricky chip.

Vietnam team collapsed

In the second half, coach Kim Sang-sik had to make another change in the defense, when he withdrew central defender Bui Tien Dung from the field to give the opportunity to young talent Pham Ly Duc. The debut match of the young player born in 2003 was a "breathless" match at Bukit Jalil, in the context of the Vietnamese team being pressured by the home team.

With a very good vertical line-up, when Facundo Garces played as a central defender, Hector Hevel played as a central midfielder and the duo Holgado and Figueiredo stirred up the front line, Malaysia played smoothly and quickly, causing the Vietnamese team to break down. The goals conceded were inevitable when the distance was no longer maintained, while stars like Hoang Duc, Xuan Manh, and Tuan Hai played superficially.

The heavy defeat started with Figueiredo's shot deflecting off Duy Manh's foot and into the net in the 49th minute, followed by a careless slip, allowing Holgado to run down and beat Nguyen Filip in the 59th minute. Hopes of a point ended in the 67th minute, when La'Vere Corbin Ong finished off Malaysia's beautiful combination with a close-range tap-in. In the 88th minute, Dion Cools sealed a 4-0 victory for Malaysia with a precise header.

Great sadness...

Photo: Ngoc Linh

The superior quality of the naturalized stars helped Malaysia dominate the game and easily score against Nguyen Filip. However, it must be admitted that the Vietnamese team had a weak and underperforming match. The image of Holgado accelerating to chase the ball in the 76th minute to the point of… crashing straight into the billboard, even though Malaysia was leading 3-0, showed that the home team had won both tactically and mentally. While the Bukit Jalil home team was determined to chase the ball to the end and cherish every move, the Vietnamese away team almost gave up. Cao Pendant Quang Vinh's wave of his hand asking his teammates to continue fighting was like a helpless stone thrown into the lake, leaving a few ripples before disappearing.

The Vietnamese team tried to push forward in the final minutes when Nguyen Tien Linh entered the field, but Malaysia defended well to hold the position. Tuan Hai and Tien Linh's efforts to handle the ball alone only brought a few limited opportunities.

By defeating Vietnam 4-0, Malaysia rose to the top with 6 points and a goal difference of +6. Vietnam has 3 points and a goal difference of -1, while Laos also has 3 points and a goal difference of -4. To qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, Vietnam must win the remaining 4 matches, including a big win over Malaysia in the rematch in March 2026.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/that-bai-be-bang-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ve-di-vck-asian-cup-se-vao-tay-malaysia-18525061023091059.htm