João Figueiredo (yellow) and teammates pull off a commanding performance to win at home. (Photo: VNA)
With the home advantage and a clear gap in physicality, Malaysia's new and improved national side scored three past Nguyen Filip in the second half, with newly naturalised players João Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado along with veterans La'Vere Corbin-Ong and Dion Cools on the scoresheet.
Before the match, Vietnam was unbeaten against Malaysia for eleven years, with the last defeat occurring in the 2014 AFF Championship.
But this Malaysian side is far different from the team that failed to make the 2024 ASEAN Championship semifinal, with five players of Malaysian heritage currently playing in South America and Europe called up and naturalised for this Asian Cup qualifiers campaign.
More adversity came for Kim Sang-sik's squad, as prolific striker Nguyen Xuan Son is still out after a nasty injury suffered in the ASEAN Championship Final at the beginning of the year.
The Golden Star Warriors, however, despite the disadvantages, pulled up a great fight against Harimau Malaya in the first half, with Filip playing the hero, pulling off saves after saves to deny Figueiredo and Arif Aiman.
Up front however, Vietnam did not have control of the match, and had to play a tight defensive game. Zero shots were registered by the men in red during the first half.
The injuries from starting centre-backs Nguyen Thanh Chung and Bui Tien Dung further exposed those flaws in the second half, which Malaysia easily capitalised after the break.
In the 48th minute, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, who had his second game in the national team jersey, lost possession in midfield to a racing Figueiredo, who sprinted towards the six-yard box and pulled off a freak shot that rebounded off Do Duy Manh's leg, went over Filip's head and into the back of the net, as the Czech-born keeper was in disbelief.
Malaysia doubled their lead just eleven minutes later, as Aiman capitalised on a misposition by Pham Xuan Manh to run into Vietnam's six yard box, and deliver an easy cross for Holgado to tap in Filip's empty net.
Coach Kim brought on Nguyen Quang Hai just after the second goal, but there was not much that Hai could do to turn the ship around, as the decline in morale and stamina kept on for Vietnam.
In a similar fashion to the second goal, Vietnam conceded a third courtesy of Corbin-Ong in the 67th minute, before Cools put the cherry on top for the supporters at Bukit Jalil with a fourth goal in the 88th minute.
The result put a dent in Vietnam's hopes of qualification for the Asian Cup, as they fell to second place behind Malaysia. As only the first-placed teams of the qualifying groups can go to the Asian Cup, Vietnam will have to put on a much better performance in the remaining games, starting with the match against Nepal on October 9./.
