Fergus Tierney strike gives Malaysia 1-0 win over Vietnam and third place at FIFA ASEAN Cup
Substitute Fergus Tierney scored with his first touch as Malaysia beat Vietnam 1-0 in Jakarta, ending a 12-year winless run against them.
Malaysia finished the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup in third place on Monday evening after a 1-0 win over Vietnam at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. The only goal came from substitute Fergus Tierney in the 62nd minute, and it ended a run of more than a decade without a win against the Vietnamese.
The playoff kicked off at 5pm Malaysia time on 5 October, a few hours before hosts Indonesia met Thailand in the final at the same venue. For Harimau Malaya, it was the last match of the tournament under interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe.
A first-touch winner
Tierney had been on the pitch for only about two minutes when he made the difference. Receiving the ball with his back to defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh, he turned and struck from distance, sending a low shot through the defender's legs and past goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik at the near post.
Until then the match had been fairly even. Vietnam started brighter, with Nguyen Hai Long shooting wide early on and Hoang Duc having an effort blocked. Malaysia's best chance of the first half fell to striker Bergson da Silva, whose shot was saved by Le Giang around the half-hour mark, while Hai Long forced a save from Ahmad Syihan Hazmi with a free kick just before the break.
VAR moment and a tense finish
The key flashpoint came in the 73rd minute, when Vietnam were initially awarded a penalty. After a VAR review, South Korean referee Ko Hyung-jin reversed his decision, ruling that Malaysian defender Haiqal had won the ball cleanly.
Vietnam, coached by Kim Sang-sik, pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages, and Syihan was called on again to keep out an effort from Le Pham Thanh Long. Malaysia held firm to see out the win.
A changed line-up and a perfect defensive record
Tan made three changes from the side that beat Singapore. Brad Tapp and Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi were rested, while captain Dion Cools was unavailable after leaving to deal with a family matter.
The clean sheet meant Syihan finished the tournament without conceding a goal. Malaysia went unbeaten through the competition, but still missed out on the final. In Division 1 Group A they drew 0-0 with Indonesia and thrashed Singapore 6-0 in Bandung on 2 October, with Bergson scoring a hat-trick and Stuart Wilkin, Paulo Josue and Syahir Bashah also on target. Malaysia and Indonesia both finished on seven points with a goal difference of plus nine, and Indonesia went through on goals scored, 11 to Malaysia's nine.
Ending the Vietnam drought
Malaysia's previous win over Vietnam came in the second leg of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals, a 4-2 victory at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi. Since then, Vietnam had dominated the fixture, including a 4-0 aggregate win over Malaysia in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup semi-finals in August.
Speaking after the match, Tan said he was pleased to finally beat Vietnam after more than ten years and praised his players for never giving up. He added that the team's strength was its unity, but stressed there was still a long way to go in building a stronger national side.
For Malaysian fans, the result offers a positive end to a turbulent period for the national team, with questions over the permanent coaching role still to be settled by the Football Association of Malaysia.
Key takeaways
- Malaysia beat Vietnam 1-0 at Gelora Bung Karno on 5 October to finish third at the FIFA ASEAN Cup.
- Substitute Fergus Tierney scored with his first touch in the 62nd minute.
- A Vietnam penalty was overturned by VAR in the 73rd minute.
- Goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi did not concede a goal all tournament.
- It was Malaysia's first win over Vietnam since the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals.
FAQ
Who scored Malaysia's goal against Vietnam? Fergus Tierney, who came off the bench around the hour mark and scored with his first touch in the 62nd minute.
Why did Malaysia not reach the FIFA ASEAN Cup final? They finished level with Indonesia on seven points and plus-nine goal difference in Group A, but Indonesia had scored more goals (11 to 9).
When did Malaysia last beat Vietnam before this match? In December 2014, a 4-2 win in Hanoi in the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals.
Sources: Malay Mail, VnExpress International, Media Selangor, Tuoi Tre News, AFC