REPORT: INDONESIA 0-0 VIETNAM (SEMI-FINAL, 1ST LEG)
Jakarta: Indonesia and Vietnam played out a goalless draw in what was an entertaining first leg of the semi-finals of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Friday.
Park Hang-seo’s Vietnam were much more organised after the restart and managed to keep Indonesia at bay, meaning that it is all to play for when the two sides meet again in the second leg at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on Monday.
Former Espanyol and Swansea City star Jordi Amat returned to the centre of the Indonesian defence after serving a suspension while centre-back Que Ngoc Hai and attacker Phan Van Duc were back among the starters for the away side.
Though it was Vietnam who dominated posession early on, the first chance of the last four clash fell to Indonesia’s Marselino who headed over a Marc Klok corner in the ninth minute.
Another corner, this time at the other end, threatened to break the deadlock four minutes later as an unmarked Nguyen Quang Hai met Do Hung Dung’s corner on the volley, but failed to get a difficult attempt on target.
Indonesia’s wide attackers Marselino and Sayuri constantly managed to get behind the Vietnamese defence in the first half and all the home side lacked was a goal to show for it.
In the 20th minute, Marselino played Dendy Sulistyawan through on goal, but the striker’s decision-making let him down as his cross, when he had only goalkeeper Dang Van Lam to beat, was cleared with relative ease by Vietnam defence.
Sayuri produced a save from Van Lam four minutes later as his cross was deflected towards the goal. Just before the half hour mark, Sayuri once again went close as his shot from outside the box following a corner sailed wide of the goal.
Marselino went one-on-one with Van Lam in the 36th minute, but he could only direct his shot at the advancing goalkeeper. The very next minute, Van Lam was called into action again as Sayuri headed a Pratama Arhan cross towards the goal.
After the first 45 minutes in which they were bombarded by Indonesia’s wide attackers, Park’s players asserted more control in the second half and limited Indonesia to few chances for the remainder of the first leg.
Dendy almost found Sayuri in front of the Vietnam goal in the 82nd minute, but substitute Nguyen Tuan Anh’s last-ditch tackle to steal the ball from the feet of the attacker saved the visiting side’s blushes.
Indonesia had shouts for a penalty turned down in the second-half stoppage time after Doan Van Hau and Ricky Kambuaya came together inside the box. Sayuri tested Van Lam with a fierce shot from a tight angle soon after in what was their last chance of the first leg.
With the honours even at the halfway point, Indonesia, looking for an elusive first AFF Championship title, will head to Hanoi now to face two-time champions Vietnam in the second leg on Tuesday.
