Việt Nam came out on top in a match that was breathtaking until the final seconds. Photo courtesy of the PSSI

Anh Đức

BANGKOK — The Việt Nam national men's futsal team returned to winning ways after a 1-0 victory against Indonesia in the second match of the group stage at the SEA Games 33 in Thailand on Wednesday.

A single goal from Từ Minh Quang put three points on the board for Diego Giustozzi's men after a breathtaking match that came down to the wire.

After a shocking 2-4 loss against Malaysia on the opening day, Việt Nam must win against Indonesia to keep their hopes of standing on the podium alive. As the Games' futsal tournament's format is a single five-team round robin group stage, with the top three claiming the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, every game counts.

And in the game against Indonesia, who beat Việt Nam 2-0 just one year earlier to claim the ASEAN Futsal Championship, every second counts. Việt Nam created enormous pressure from the start and had many chances.

However, it took 11 minutes for Indonesia's defence to crack open. From a clever set piece play, the ball went to Minh Quang who sent a decisive strike into the back of Indonesia's net and opened the score for Việt Nam.

Indonesia, also needing a win to hold on to their second place, pushed higher, and even sometimes switched to power play tactics in the latter part of the second half. Their plays almost came to fruition, had it not been for Phạm Văn Tú's heroic performance, denying shots after shots from strikers such as Samuel Eko.

Đinh Công Viên, with 18 seconds left on the clock, could have doubled Việt Nam's lead, but his shot from Việt Nam's own half hit the bar.

Việt Nam continues their group stage journey tomorrow, with perhaps the medal-defining match against Thailand. A win for Văn Tú and his teammates would bring the gold medal closer to Diego Giustozzi's men. — VNS