Vietnam U19 holds its breath watching Australia U19 play

Vietnam U19 will only learn their fate regarding a spot in the semifinals of the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship once the game between Australia U19 and Cambodia U19 finishes at 20:00 on June 9.

In the match played last night, June 8, in Group B, Malaysia U19 lost to Thailand U19 2-3, remaining in second place in Group B with 6 points and a goal difference of +6.

Because the result against bottom-placed Brunei was canceled when considering the best runner-up rankings, Malaysia U19 only has 3 points and a goal difference of +2 in this race.

This result means Malaysia U19 is officially behind Vietnam U19 in the rankings and will definitely be eliminated at the group stage.

Thailand U19 will be Vietnam U19's opponent if the team advances as the second-placed team in Group A. Photo: Thai FA

However, Vietnam U19 is not yet certain to advance because Group C is still unresolved. In Group C, Australia U19 currently leads with 3 points and a goal difference of +10, while Cambodia U19 is second with 3 points and a goal difference of +3.

In the event that Cambodia U19 also loses to Australia, Vietnam U19 will officially become the best second-placed team, thereby securing the last ticket to the semi-finals of the 2026 Southeast Asian Championship.

Vietnam U19 will only be eliminated in two cases: if Australia U19 draws with Cambodia U19.

In that scenario, Cambodia U19 would have 4 points, one more than Vietnam U19 in the runner-up rankings, or if Cambodia U19 beats Australia U19 by a margin of fewer than 6 goals.

Australia U19 will top Group C and become the opponent of Indonesia U19 if they win or draw.

Meanwhile, Cambodia must win if they want to reach the semi-finals as Group C winners. Cambodia U19 cannot advance as a second-placed team.

Thailand secured a semi-final spot after topping Group B. Pichaiya Kongsri and his teammates earned 9 points. In the semi-finals, Thailand U19 will face the second-placed team from Group A or Group C.