Indonesian media bitter as Vietnam eliminates them from Southeast Asian tournament

Indonesian media disappointed as U17 Indonesia eliminated after 0-0 draw against U17 Vietnam, missing chance to advance to U17 Southeast Asia 2026 semifinals.

Bola newspaper reported: “Draw with Vietnam, U17 Indonesia eliminated from group stage”, and emphasized: “U17 Indonesia concluded their journey in Group A of U17 Southeast Asia 2026 with a draw. ‘Garuda Muda’ accepted the 0-0 result when facing U17 Vietnam at Gelora Delta Stadium (Sidoarjo, East Java) on the evening of April 19.”

According to the assessment of media from the archipelago nation, U17 Vietnam was the team that demonstrated better preparation and held a clear advantage for most of the match duration: “U17 Vietnam was evaluated as the better-prepared team and could even be considered dominant from the start of the first half. Meanwhile, U17 Indonesia created very few opportunities throughout the match. The Vietnamese representatives played with more relaxed mentality as they held advantage in the group standings.”

The actual on-field situation clearly reflected this assessment. From the start of the match, U17 Vietnam entered confidently and quickly controlled the game. Van Duong was the standout name with a dangerous long-range shot in the 5th minute, before continuing to create an opportunity for Minh Thuy to shoot near goal in the 8th minute but could not beat the Indonesian goalkeeper.

In the remainder of the first half, the red-shirted team maintained continuous pressure. The solid midfield helped U17 Vietnam dominate ball possession, forcing Indonesia, despite needing a win, to retreat deep into defense and almost not create clear opportunities. The first half concluded without any goals scored.

In the second half, U17 Indonesia tried to push their formation higher to seek decisive goal. However, the final touches of the host team lacked accuracy. Conversely, U17 Vietnam continued to create more dangerous situations but could not convert them into goals. The match ended with a 0-0 score, a result sufficient for U17 Vietnam to secure top position in Group A, while Indonesia was eliminated.

Bola also pointed out the reason causing the home team to stop: “In this year's tournament, only the three group winners and the best-performing runner-up qualify for semifinals. Therefore, finishing third prevented U17 Indonesia from participating in the top four strongest teams round.”

This result meant U17 Indonesia only obtained 4 points after 3 matches (win against Timor Leste, loss to Malaysia, draw with Vietnam) and accepted being outside the championship race. Meanwhile, U17 Vietnam continued to affirm the strength of regional youth football by advancing to semifinals as group leader. According to schedule, U17 Southeast Asia 2026 semifinal matches will occur at 15:30 and 19:30 on April 22, promising to deliver exciting competitions.