Vietnam’s national team saw their hopes of advancing to the third round of the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers come to an end following Indonesia’s 2-0 victory over the Philippines.
The final matchday of the second round of the World Cup 2026 Asian qualifiers featured 18 simultaneous matches on June 11th, determining the final five teams advancing to the third round.
Vietnamese fans closely watched the matches between Indonesia and the Philippines and Vietnam’s away game against Iraq. For Vietnam to surpass Indonesia and advance, coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad needed to defeat Iraq and hope that Indonesia did not win against the Philippines. In such a scenario, Vietnam would finish with 9 points, while Indonesia would have a maximum of 8 points.
In another scenario, if Vietnam drew with Iraq, they would need Indonesia to lose to the Philippines. Both teams would then be tied on points, but Vietnam would advance due to a superior goal difference.
Since the Indonesia vs. Philippines match started earlier (7:30 PM Vietnam time), a win for Shin Tae Yong’s squad would eliminate Vietnam before their match against Iraq began.
Playing at the Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia dominated the Philippines. Numerous chances were created, but it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that the hosts opened the scoring with an impressive strike from Thom Haye. The lead was doubled in the 56th minute when Ridho headed in a precise free-kick from Tjoe-A-On.
Despite controlling the game and creating additional opportunities, Indonesia couldn’t add to their tally. The match concluded with a 2-0 victory for Shin Tae Yong’s team.
With this win, Indonesia secured 10 points from six matches, clinching second place in Group F and a spot in the third round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, regardless of the outcome of the Iraq vs. Vietnam match. Consequently, Vietnam’s journey in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers came to an official end.
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