Vietnam extend unbeaten run with 3-1 win over Indonesia

Duy Manh (second from left) celebrates with teammates after opening the scoring for Vietnam. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Do Duy Manh gifted the Golden Dragons a 1-0 lead in the first half before Que Ngoc Hai and Nguyen Tien Linh made it 3-0 with two second-half goals, one of which came from a penalty.

Substitute Irfan Bachdim rescued Indonesia from an empty-handed match by grabbing a late consolation goal with a few minutes left to play.

After three successive defeats, Indonesia were desperate for a win against Vietnam to keep alive their fragile hopes of competing for a place in the final qualification round. However, with superior form and power, the Golden Dragons left no chance for Tim Garuda to realise their ambition.

Vietnam produced a strong start to the match with Nguyen Trong Hoang rifling a powerful shot from outside the box in the 19^th minute, which was punched clear by goalkeeper Muhammad Ridho.

The guests needed only seven more minutes to concretise their possession. Doan Van Hau headed back a corner kick by Nguyen Quang Hai across the goal and Do Duy Manh slotted in from close range to give Vietnam the lead.

The Golden Dragons missed a golden chance to double their advantage two minutes later, as Quang Hai unexpectedly shot high in a comfortable position after receiving a convenient pass from teammate Van Toan.

Vietnam’s stormy attacks in the first half only stopped in the 43^rd minute with forward Nguyen Tien Linh placing a low shot wide.

The lopsided game remained unchanged after the break, with Vietnam maintaining their pressure on the Indonesian side.

Do Hung Dung was brought down inside the box by Yanto Basna in the 53^rd minute, and captain Que Ngoc Hai successfully converted the resulting penalty to put the Golden Dragons two goals in front.

Nguyen Tien Linh continued to rub salt on Indonesia’s wounds eight minutes later, as he took a long pass from Trong Hoang and beat keeper Ridho in a one-on-one, thus making things worse for Tim Garuda.

Six minutes from stoppage time, naturalised player Irfan Bachdim made use of Vietnam’s defensive loophole to slot in from close range to pull a goal back for the hosts and force Park Hang-seo’s side to concede the first goal in the World Cup qualifiers.

Goalie Ridho prevented Vietnam from widening the gap by brilliantly stopping Quang Hai’s narrow-angle shot (90’) and Do Hung Dung’s penalty (90’+5).

With the convincing win, Vietnam continue to stay on the right track in their bid to progress into the last qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Vietnam have now won seven points after three unbeaten matches in a row, including two wins and one draw.