Title holders Vietnam boost ASEAN Championship hopes with win over Indonesia
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Vietnam's football team celebrating their 3-0 win over Indonesia after their ASEAN Championship Group A match on Aug 3.
PHOTO: VFF/FACEBOOK
Defending champions Vietnam handed hosts Indonesia a 3-0 defeat on Aug 3 to go top of Group A in the ASEAN Championship and move to within sight of a semi-final berth.
Goals from Nguyen Van Vi and Nguyen Hai Long gave Vietnam a two-goal lead inside the first 15 minutes while Nguyen Xuan Son scored a third 19 minutes from time to put the result beyond doubt.
The win moves the Vietnamese onto seven points from three matches and ahead of Singapore on goal difference with the Indonesians in third, one point adrift.
Vietnam will face Cambodia in their final group match on Aug 7, when Singapore host Indonesia. The first two finishers in the group advance to the knockout rounds.
Singapore need just a draw against Indonesia at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Aug 7 to qualify for the semi-finals, while the Indonesians need to win.
Van Vi gave Kim Sang-sik’s side the perfect start when he beat home goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata at his near post in the fifth minute while Hai Long doubled the visitors’ lead with a stunning counter-attacking goal nine minutes later.
Xuan Son, who started on the bench, netted his side’s third in the 71st minute with another rapid-fire break as the Vietnamese asserted their title credentials.
In the day’s other game, Cambodia defeated Timor-Leste 3-0 in Phnom Penh with Hav Soknet scoring twice.
The win was Cambodia’s first in the competition, but neither side can qualify for the semi-finals. REUTERS