Vietnam and Indonesia drew 2-2 after extra time at the second leg of the Suzuki Cup semi-finals Wednesday, ensuring the Garuda a spot in the final after a hard-fought battle against the Golden Stars. Indonesia's top striker Stefano Lilipaly drew first blood in the 54th minute after a first half that saw no goals at Hanoi's My Dinh stadium packed with a raucous crowd splashed with red and yellow.
The goal kicked off an action-packed second half after Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Nguyen Manh was given a red card in the 76th minute. Having already used its substitutions, Vietnam's Manh handed his gloves to defender Que Ngoc Hai to step in for him. With only 10 players on the pitch, the home team scored twice - including a shock goal by Vu Minh Tuan in injury time at the end of the second half, drawing electric cheers from fans across the city. Vietnam's Vu Van Thanh scored earlier in the 83rd minute. But Indonesia's Manahati Lestusen scored a fateful goal in a penalty kick in extra time, clinching a spot in the AFF's final against Thailand or Myanmar on December 14. Even as some 40,000 fans started to file out of My Dinh stadium, dedicated crowds chanted "Vietnam" despite the heartbreak. The teams observed a minute of silence at the top of the match for more than 90 people killed in an earthquake in Indonesia earlier Wednesday.
Indonesia on Saturday beat Vietnam 2-1 at home in the first leg of the semi-finals of the fiercely contested regional tournament. Their aggregate score after Wednesday's draw was 4-3. Regional favourites Thailand are predicted to move onto the finals after they play Myanmar on Thursday. Vietnam won the biennial AFF Suzuki Cup in 2008, and Indonesia has lost in the finals four times between 2000 and 2010.
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