Vietnam feature in two best Asian Cup group stage matches

Vietnam’s 2-4 defeat to Japan in their opener on Jan. 14 has the most goals scored in a group stage game, tied with South Korea’s 3-3 draw against Malaysia on Jan. 25.

“There was no shortage of hype surrounding this fixture as 23 years after guiding Japan to the 2000 AFC Asian Cup title, Vietnam boss Philippe Troussier faced his former side for the first time since departing the role following the 2002 FIFA World Cup. And the Frenchman’s side gave one of the tournament favorites an almighty scare in their Group D opener,” wrote AFC.

Takumi Minamino opened the scoring for Japan in the 11th minute, but Nguyen Dinh Bac’s looping header and Pham Tuan Hai’s finish at the back post quickly gave Vietnam a surprising 2-1 lead.

Pham Tuan Hai (R) celebrates his goal to help Vietnam lead 2-1 against Japan in their Asian Cup opener on Jan. 14, 2024. Vietnam lost 2-4 eventually. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

However, Minamino and Keito Nakamura put Japan up at half-time with two skillful finishes. It was much harder for Vietnam to approach Japan’s goal in the second half, and Ayase Ueda’s goal from inside the box sealed the 4-2 victory for the four-time champion.

Both teams were showered with praise from the fans and the media after the highly entertaining game. Vietnam gave Japan quite a few scares, and their good ball possession was able to limit their opponents’ attacks. Meanwhile, Japan remained calm even in times of trailing and gradually took control of the match to turn the game around.

 

 

Vietnam feature in two best Asian Cup group stage matches

Việt Nam 2-4 Nhật Bản

In contrast, Vietnam were in for much criticism when they lost 0-1 to Indonesia in the following match, which was also chosen by AFC as one of the best group stage games. It marks the first time two Southeast Asian sides met at an AFC Asian Cup tournament since 1972. Both teams walked into the match with a win in mind to make a statement and keep their advancing chances alive.

Indonesia dominated the first half. The immense pressure led defender Nguyen Thanh Binh to make a costly mistake in the 39th minute when he pulled Rafael Struick in the box, allowing Asnawi Mangkualam to score the only goal of the match from the penalty spot.

“Shin Tae-yong’s team picked up a vital victory,” noted AFC, claiming that the ever-improving Indonesia side “broke new ground” with the victory.

 

 

Vietnam feature in two best Asian Cup group stage matches

Indonesia 1-0 Việt Nam

Despite losing 1-3 to Japan in the final group stage game, Indonesia still managed to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time thanks to Oman’s 1-1 draw against Kyrgyzstan in Group F. Meanwhile, Vietnam were ousted after the second game and concluded their Asian Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-3 loss to Iraq.

Iraq’s upset 2-1 win over Japan is another Group D match that made the list. The remaining three games are Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory against Oman in Group F, Tajikistan’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over Lebanon in Group A, and South Korea’s 3-3 draw against Malaysia in Group E.