VFF reacts to Vietnam's painful loss to Indonesia

That disappointing defeat, marked by a disputed penalty kick against U19 Indonesia, greatly increases U19 Vietnam's chances of being eliminated.

On the evening of June 7, the U19 Vietnam team suffered a regrettable 1-2 defeat to hosts U19 Indonesia in the final Group A match of the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship. The penalty conceded in stoppage time cost coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's side the chance to top the group, leaving them to wait for results from other groups to determine their potential semifinal berth.

Commenting on U19 Vietnam's extremely unfortunate loss, the official website of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) stated that while the outcome is disappointing, it also serves as a lesson for upcoming tournaments: "Although the result was not as hoped, the clash against hosts Indonesia still provided significant professional value for U19 Vietnam.

Competing in the passionate atmosphere of tens of thousands of home fans, enduring immense pressure both on the field and in the stands, and experiencing the tense moments of a decisive match, the young players gained invaluable experience to build their international competitive spirit. This is also an excellent opportunity for the coaching staff to continue assessing and refining the squad, aiming for the more important goal of the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers."

The 1-2 loss to U19 Indonesia in the final group match left U19 Vietnam finishing second in Group A. While the hosts advanced to the semifinals as group winners, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's team must now await results from the remaining groups to see if they can enter the knockout stage as the best second-placed team.

Currently, U19 Vietnam has 3 points and a goal difference of +4, temporarily leading the group of second-placed teams. However, their progression heavily relies on the outcome of the match between U19 Thailand and U19 Malaysia. If that game ends in a draw, U19 Malaysia will have 4 points and overtake U19 Vietnam in the race for a semifinal spot.

Additionally, U19 Vietnam must also wait for the result of the U19 Australia vs. U19 Cambodia match. A draw would give U19 Cambodia 4 points, more than U19 Vietnam. In other words, if a draw occurs in either of those two matches, U19 Vietnam will be officially eliminated.