Wasteful finishing sees Vietnam futsal team fall 2–3 to defending champions Indonesia
Despite creating pressure and several clear chances, the Vietnam futsal team were unlucky in front of goal and suffered a narrow 2–3 defeat to Indonesia in the semifinals of the 2026 ASEAN Futsal Championship. With this result, coach Diego Giustozzi’s side will compete for third place against the loser of the other semifinal between Thailand and Australia.
14/04/2026 16:50:12
From the opening minutes, coach Diego Giustozzi’s players took the initiative and continuously threatened the opponent’s goal. Nguyen Da Hai had an early dangerous shot in the 1st minute, before Thinh Phat missed two clear chances in quick succession, including a close-range effort that struck the crossbar.
Vietnam’s sustained pressure forced Indonesia’s defense to work hard. In the 7th minute, Thai Huy fired a shot that was saved by goalkeeper Albagir, but Cong Dai failed to capitalize on the rebound. Unfortunately, while holding the upper hand, Vietnam conceded in the 10th minute following a defensive error. A few minutes later, Indonesia made the most of another opportunity to double their lead to 2–0.
Despite the setback, Vietnam remained composed. Coach Diego Giustozzi’s side continued to play an attacking game and created more chances, including a late first-half attempt by Quang Nguyen that sailed over the bar.
In the second half, Vietnam’s efforts were quickly rewarded. In the 22nd minute, from a set-piece situation, Tu Minh Quang provided the assist for Nguyen Da Hai to fire home a powerful strike, reducing the deficit to 1–2. However, Indonesia once again showed their efficiency on the counterattack, restoring their two-goal lead at 3–1 just a minute later.
Refusing to give up, Vietnam pushed higher up the pitch and increased the pressure. In the 31st minute, from a kick-in, Cong Dai finished decisively to make it 2–3, reigniting hopes for his team. The following minutes saw a series of chances created, notably a shot by Nguyen Da Hai that struck the post after a quick combination.
In the closing stages, Vietnam deployed a power-play strategy in search of an equalizer. Despite their relentless efforts, coach Diego Giustozzi’s side were unable to break through the opponent’s defense again.
In the end, Vietnam suffered a 2–3 defeat to Indonesia and will now compete in the third-place playoff. Although they fell short of reaching the final as hoped, their performance still showed many positive signs, particularly their fighting spirit and ability to create chances against the defending champions of regional futsal.
