World Cup qualifiers: Vietnam lose 0-3 to Indonesia on home soil

Coach Philippe Troussier made some substitutions in the official line up, expecting to enhance strikers’ strength and resist opponents’ attacks.

Despite strong support from spectators at My Dinh national stadium, host players did not perform much better than the away match three days ago when they lost 0-1 to their Indonesian opponents.

The Vietnamese defenders lost concentration, enabling Idzes to comfortably head in the opener in the 9th minute.

Not long after that, Ragnar Omatrangoen easily broke through the defensive line before beating goalkeeper Filip Nguyen.

Two subsequent goals made Vietnamese spectators disappointed and angry.

Troussier’s tactical changes after the break proved ineffective. The spectators even found it more confusing when midfielder Quang Hai was not sent in.

The home spectators’ disappointment became even greater when Indonesia scored a third goal during extra time.

There was no magic wand to save Vietnam from loss that means they have little opportunity to enter the third World Cup qualifying round though they do theoretically.

This is also the only time in the past 20 years that Vietnam lost to Indonesia at home.

At the press briefing after the match, Troussier said the Vietnamese players had carved out many opportunities but they had failed in the end.

He also refused to talk about his future in Vietnam, saying he would work with the leadership of the Vietnam Football Federation on March 27.