Vietnam competes with Indonesia for Southeast Asian futsal championship

The Southeast Asian futsal final between Vietnam and Indonesia will take place at 6 p.m. on November 10. Vietnam has a chance to win the tournament for the first time.

The Vietnamese team won all five matches on the way to the final. The rejuvenated squad under coach Diego Giustozzi brought fans many emotions in the last two matches, defeating Thailand and Australia.

Both the strengths and weaknesses of the Vietnamese team were clearly shown in these two matches. Some positions still had problems and psychological problems in the early stages of the match. In the victory over Australia, Nhan Gia Hung and his teammates also encountered many difficulties when facing a physically superior opponent.

However, in difficult times, the Vietnamese team showed perseverance and impressive fighting spirit. Coach Giustozzi's students played proactively. Nguyen Thinh Phat and his teammates' ability to take advantage of opportunities also improved compared to the Asian tournament.

Compared to the Vietnamese team, Indonesia is more familiar with the finals. In the last two Southeast Asian tournaments (2019, 2022), the team from the archipelago both reached the cup match and lost to Thailand - the team that won 16 championships in the previous 17 times participating in the tournament.

Indonesian futsal has gradually regained its position in recent years. In the FIFA rankings, Indonesia is ranked 28th, 4 places higher than the Vietnamese team. They do not have good results in continental tournaments but are always on par with or better in the region than Vietnamese futsal.

The strength of the Indonesian team was shown in the semi-final match. Indonesia defeated Thailand 5-1. The home team did not use their best squad in this tournament, but the fact that they lost by 4 goals was still a big surprise.

Another factor that makes the Indonesian team formidable is the head coach position. Leading this team is Mr. Hector Souto, who used to work in Vietnam.

Overall assessment before the final match, Indonesia is slightly better than the Vietnamese team. However, after what they showed in the group stage and semi-finals, coach Giustozzi's students showed that they are fully capable of competing fairly for the championship.