Van Vi (number 3) and his teammates celebrated arm-in-arm. This goal was significant, helping Vietnam alleviate some pressure while playing on Indonesian soil with the objective of winning to keep their ASEAN Cup semi-final hopes alive.

On 3/8, at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, Vietnam secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Indonesia in the ASEAN Cup 2026. The match saw midfielder Nguyen Hai Long score Vietnam's second goal in the 14th minute.

Hai Long calmly slotted the ball into the near corner, beating goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata, after receiving an assist from Le Pham Thanh Long. This goal extended Vietnam's lead to 2-0. Nine minutes earlier, Nguyen Van Vi had opened the scoring with a similar attack down the left flank, also beating Nadeo with a shot into the near corner.

Hoang Hen and his teammates applauded, thanking the Vietnamese fans who came to the stadium to support the team.

After scoring, the 26-year-old midfielder initially intended to run to the corner flag to celebrate, but then turned towards Stand D, where the most passionate home fans were gathered. He pointed to the yellow logo on his sleeve, which represents the ASEAN Cup champions, a title Vietnam won in the 2024 tournament.

Hai Long's celebration seemed to rub salt into the wounds of Indonesian football. The "land of a thousand islands" national team has advanced past the group stage a total of 10 times in the Southeast Asian Championship (ASEAN Cup, formerly AFF Cup and Tiger Cup). However, they have never won the tournament, despite reaching the final six times: in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2020. After the match, Hai Long posted on his personal page: "Enjoy these moments."

With a two-goal lead, Vietnam played comfortably, giving Indonesia no chance to respond. In the 63rd minute, Xuan Son was brought on for Tai Loc, and Hoang Hen replaced Hai Long. Immediately after coming on, Xuan Son had a chance to score, but his right-footed shot went over the bar. The linesman had already raised his flag for offside.

In the 71st minute, the Brazilian-born naturalized forward Xuan Son scored Vietnam's third goal. After a midfield dribble, captain Nguyen Hoang Duc delivered a perfectly weighted through ball, allowing Xuan Son to break clear and beat goalkeeper Nadeo with a low left-footed shot into the far corner.

After scoring, Xuan Son shouted multiple times, seemingly releasing pressure after last week's draw with Singapore. Xuan Son was the top scorer in the ASEAN Cup 2024 with 7 goals, but in three group stage matches this year, he had only scored two goals.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old forward played a complete game, showing enthusiasm, moving tirelessly, and contesting for the ball to support his teammates in both defense and attack.

With the 3-0 victory, Vietnam has virtually secured a spot in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals. Coach Kim's team has 7 points, the same as Singapore, but leads on goal difference. In their final match, they only need to avoid defeat against Cambodia at My Dinh Stadium. Conversely, Indonesia must defeat Singapore to keep their hopes alive.

Duc Dong