Malaysia vs. Vietnam: The Strength of Naturalized Players
Opting for a defensive approach, the Vietnamese national team struggled to change the course of the match despite their best efforts, as the home side featured as many as nine high-quality naturalized players in their starting lineup.
11/06/2025 10:00:08
Malaysia fielded a lineup with nine naturalized players alongside two local players: goalkeeper Syihan Hazmin and winger Arif Aiman. On the other side, head coach Kim Sang-sik, dealing with an incomplete squad, opted for a formation without a true striker, using a 5-4-1 setup. Notably, newcomer Cao Pentdan Quang Vinh started the match, and goalkeeper Nguyễn Filip was given the nod to start in goal.
Vietnam played with a low defensive block, maintaining a compact shape. Ngọc Quang, deployed as a “false nine,” actively dropped deep to contest possession in his own half. Meanwhile, midfielders such as Hoàng Đức, Minh Khoa, Hải Long, and Văn Vĩ worked hard to maintain balance in the middle of the park.
Malaysia created a fairly dominant start, but after 15 minutes, coach Kim Sang-sik’s players gradually regained control of the game thanks to well-coordinated team movements. As the first half passed the halfway mark, coach Peter Cklamovski’s side began applying sustained pressure through wing attacks.
In the 28th minute, Figueiredo broke down the flank and delivered a low cross. Fortunately for Vietnam, Arif Aiman’s poor first touch caused the ball to bounce away, allowing Tiến Dũng to intervene just in time. Only four minutes later, Vietnam faced a real scare when Dion Cools unleashed a powerful shot from about 25 meters out — luckily, the post came to the rescue.
After trying to continue despite an injury, Thành Chung was forced to leave the field and was replaced by Xuân Mạnh in the 38th minute. The pressure mounted as Malaysia intensified their attacks. In the 40th minute, a cross from Arif Aiman on the right wing set up Figueiredo for a powerful header, but Nguyễn Filip made a brilliant save.
The first half ended with another dangerous moment as Arif Aiman broke past Xuân Mạnh’s challenge and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, Nguyễn Filip once again came to Vietnam’s rescue, denying the opponent’s attempted chip with an excellent save.
The second half began with coach Kim Sang-sik bringing on Tuấn Hải and Lý Đức to replace Văn Vĩ and Tiến Dũng. Just four minutes later, after Ngọc Quang lost a midfield challenge, Figueiredo seized the ball and fired a shot to open the scoring.
In the 50th minute, Nguyễn Filip once again made a crucial save in a one-on-one situation against Arif Aiman. However, in the 59th minute, Holgado doubled the lead for the home side. With a squad full of naturalized players, Malaysia continued to dominate the match against Vietnam. In the 67th minute, Corbin Ong extended the score to 3-0.
The introduction of Quang Hải and Tiến Linh failed to change the momentum for Vietnam. In the 88th minute, Enrick delivered an accurate cross for Dion Cools to head home, sealing a 4-0 victory.
Coach Kim Sang-sik and his players will need to make significant improvements ahead of the return leg, scheduled for March 31, 2026.
