Indonesian fans erupted in reaction after Thailand opened the door wide for U19 Vietnam to reach the semifinals

Thailand U19 beat Malaysia U19 3-2 in the last Group B fixture, helping U19 Vietnam move closer to a semifinal berth in the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship. The outcome also led to intense debates among numerous Indonesian supporters online.

Thailand U19 and Malaysia U19 delivered an exciting first half with a dramatic back-and-forth scoring battle. Malaysia opened the scoring in the 14th minute through a header by Imran, but Kongsri quickly equalized for Thailand in the 21st minute. In the 42nd minute, Ponsan put the "Young War Elephants" ahead 2-1, before Arsyad shone with a technical finish in stoppage time, making it 2-2 at the break after the first 45 minutes.

In the second half, both teams continued to play an open game with fierce contests. Malaysia U19 had several dangerous opportunities but failed to convert them into goals, while Thailand U19 gradually gained dominance and increased the pressure. The turning point came in the 79th minute when the "Young War Elephants" were awarded a penalty, and Kongsri successfully converted the spot kick to complete his brace, thus securing a 3-2 victory for Thailand U19.

After the match, many Indonesian fans expressed their admiration for the professional quality of this encounter.

One fan commented: "This is probably the best match of the tournament so far. Thailand and Malaysia both played attacking, entertaining football with very high tempo."

Another observer remarked: "Thailand U19 showed the composure of a title contender. They were pegged back twice but still found a way to win."

An Indonesian supporter wrote: "Malaysia didn't play badly, especially in the first half. However, they made mistakes at crucial moments and paid the price."

Meanwhile, many comments also mentioned U19 Vietnam after this result gave the red-shirted team a wide path to the semifinals. One fan shared: "I think U19 Vietnam deserve to be in the semifinals. They played very well against Indonesia even though they didn't win."

Another account commented: "Vietnam had both skill and a bit of luck. But that's necessary in major tournaments. They possess a technical style of play and are fully capable of competing for the title."

With this result, U19 Vietnam will continue to await the match between U19 Australia and U19 Cambodia on June 9. If U19 Australia win, Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi's team will officially secure a semifinal spot as one of the best second-placed teams.

Should they make it to the top four, U19 Vietnam will likely face Thailand U19 in the semifinals. This is seen as a highly anticipated clash in regional youth football, scheduled for June 11.