At Gelora Delta stadium on 22/4, Vietnam had a poor start, allowing Australia to open the scoring with a superb left-footed shot from Luke Becvinovski from near the 16,5m line. This was Vietnam's first goal conceded in the tournament in Indonesia.

However, this did not faze coach Cristiano Roland's squad. They quickly regrouped, controlled the game, created many opportunities, and scored two goals through Nguyen Manh Cuong and Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc. "We prepared very thoroughly, even anticipating conceding first to help the players maintain their confidence", coach Roland shared after the match. "They were truly disheartened by the early goal. But the subsequent patience was the key for us to come back".

Coach Cristiano Roland speaking at the press conference after Vietnam's 2-1 victory over Australia in the U17 Southeast Asia Championship 2026 semifinals, at Gelora Delta stadium in Indonesia on 22/4/2026. *Photo: Doan Huynh*

Before securing the equalizer, Vietnamese players consistently exploited the space between Australia's defense and midfield, creating at least four clear opportunities to send crosses from the flanks. However, the decisive passes lacked accuracy.

Coach Roland stated that adhering to tactical instructions bolstered the players' confidence that a goal would eventually come. He cited an incident in the 37th minute, when Le Sy Bach fell in the penalty area after a tackle from behind by Oliver O’Carroll. The main referee initially awarded a penalty but reversed the decision after consulting VAR and reviewing the video.

The Vietnamese players remained psychologically unaffected, eventually earning a genuine penalty after Le Trong Dai Nhan was fouled in the first minute of injury time. From the 11m spot, Dai Nhan's shot hit the post, but Manh Cuong was quick to head in the rebound for the equalizer. In the 60th minute, Vietnam completed their comeback with a beautifully orchestrated free-kick. Nguyen Minh Thuy made a low pass against the Australian players' anticipated direction, while Tran Hoang Viet and Nguyen Luc both pulled back. The opponents were then further deceived when Hoang Viet feigned a shot, releasing the ball for Nguyen Luc to finish with a one-touch strike.

"The players had practiced these situations extensively, and it paid off in the group stage against Malaysia and Timor Leste", Roland stated. "They fought hard but maintained their alertness and composure".

Midfielder Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc celebrates his 60th-minute goal that secured Vietnam's 2-1 victory over Australia in the U17 Southeast Asia Championship 2026 semifinals. *Photo: Doan Huynh*

This result brings Vietnam's head-to-head record against Australia in the tournament to an even standing, with three wins for each team. It also marks Vietnam's second consecutive victory against the "land of kangaroos" opponent, following a 2-0 win in the 2017 semifinals.

In the final on 24/4, Vietnam will face Malaysia again, who easily defeated Laos 3-0 in the earlier semifinal. In the group stage, Vietnam had previously beaten Malaysia 4-0, but coach Roland is not overconfident. "I want the players to maintain high concentration as there is still one important match ahead", he stated. "Malaysia in the final will be different from the group stage, with a form and mindset that cannot be underestimated".

This marks Vietnam's sixth appearance in the U17 Southeast Asia Championship final in 17 tournaments. In their five previous final appearances, the team secured three championships in 2006, 2010, and 2017.

Hieu Luong