Indonesian media warns Vietnam U19 ahead of the big clash at the AFF tournament

According to Indonesian media, Vietnam U19 is at a disadvantage in the race for the top spot in Group A, despite both teams winning 3-0 in their opening match of the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship.

According to Indonesia's Bola page, although both teams secured 3-0 victories in the opening matches of Group A in the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship, Indonesia U19 holds a greater advantage over Vietnam U19 in the race for a semifinal spot. The archipelago's media believes the host team is in a favorable position due to the special tournament format this year.

In the first match on June 1, Vietnam U19 overcame Timor Leste U19 with a 3-0 score, while Indonesia U19 also defeated Myanmar U19 by the same margin. Both teams have 3 points, have scored 3 goals, and have not conceded. However, Bola notes that Indonesia's result carries more significance because Myanmar is considered a higher-quality opponent than Timor Leste. This gives coach Nova Arianto's squad a certain edge going into the next matches.

The Indonesian newspaper analyzes that this year's tournament format awards semifinal spots only to the three group winners and the best runner-up. Meanwhile, Groups A and B have four teams, while Group C has only three. To ensure fairness, results against the bottom team in each group will not be counted when evaluating the top two teams. Therefore, every goal and goal difference in the direct clashes between competing teams becomes extremely crucial.

Bola believes that Vietnam U19 faces more pressure in the second match. Accordingly, coach Cristiano Roland's team needs to defeat Myanmar U19 by a margin equal to or greater than what Indonesia achieved. Otherwise, Indonesia U19 will maintain its advantage ahead of the match considered the "Group A final" between the two teams on June 7.

Commenting on the current situation, Indonesian football expert Toni Ho stated: "Usually, tournament regulations where groups have different numbers of teams will disregard results against the bottom-placed teams." He also remarked: "Meanwhile, the Indonesia U-19 team is in a better position than the Vietnam U-19 team. Hopefully, the Vietnam U-19 team will not suffer a heavy loss against the Myanmar U-19 team."

Additionally, Indonesian media warned Vietnam U19 not to be complacent against Myanmar. At the 2024 ASEAN U19 Championship, Myanmar held Vietnam U19 to a 1-1 draw. Toni Ho commented: "The Myanmar U-19 team is not weak. Yesterday, they caused difficulties for the Indonesia U-19 team. I don't think they will be easily defeated by the Vietnam U-19 team." With the current developments, the race between Vietnam U19 and Indonesia U19 has become the center of attention in Group A before the two teams directly face off in the final matchday.