AFF Cup 2018: Looking for a good coach to rewrite history
(Baonghean.vn) - Although considered the weakest team in Group A, AFF Cup 2018, it is clear that Laos is holding great ambitions to rewrite history. The evidence is that coach V.Sundaramoorthy has just been appointed to lead Laos in AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 just 1 month before the opening day.
Coach V. Sundramoorthy is a coach who understands Southeast Asian football because he has been involved in Singaporean football for many years, often leading clubs, youth teams and the national team (2016 - 2018).
This is surprising news, because last September, the previous French coach Patrice Neveu appeared with the team in Barcelona for training as an observer. In the end, the person who replaced coach Mike Wong Mun Heng was V. Sundramoorthy, a coach who has coached many national teams in the world such as: Niger, Guinea, Congo, Mauritania and most recently Haiti (participating in Copa America 2018). He used to be a FIFA technical consultant in the East Asia region.
Regional football knowledge criteria
Sundramoorthy, born in 1965, was once known as the most talented striker in Singaporean football. At the age of 18, he became the best scorer in the Singapore Malaysia Cup. In 1988, Sundramoorthy went to Europe to play for Basel Club, Switzerland.
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| Having just taken charge of the Laos national team, coach V.Sundaramoorthy declared that he would “get in the way” of the Vietnam national team. Photo: Internet |
In 2012, Sundramoorthy began his coaching career by leading the LionsXXI Club to compete in the Malaysian national championship. In his first season, he led the Singapore team to the runner-up position in the Malaysia Super League and to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup. Sundramoorthy returned home to work for the national team, going from the role of team caretaker coach (January 2013) to the Singapore U23 coach (May 2013) participating in the 27th SEA Games.
After that, the 52-year-old strategist also had time to lead the Lions XII and Negeri Sembilan clubs of the Malaysian league, then Tampines Rovers of the Singapore Premier League. From May 2016, he was officially appointed as the head coach of the Singapore team, before announcing his resignation on April 9, 2018.
Perhaps it is true as the Technical Director of the Lao Football Federation, Mr. Mike Wong shared: "Time is running out so the Lao Football Federation needs to choose someone who understands regional football. Coach V. Sundramoorthy is knowledgeable about Southeast Asian football and he can help young Lao players soon take on responsibility for the national team". That is the reason the Singaporean coach was chosen. This can help the Lao team become more stable in the coming years.
Last year, during the preparation for the AFF Cup 2018, the Lao Football Federation decided to put their trust in Dusit - a former Thai player. In the end, this 37-year-old coach was soon fired when the team's performance was not as expected. It seems that after the friendly tournaments, if they lose, the Lao Football Federation will "change the general".
Lao football has participated in the AFF Cup (formerly Tiger Cup) 10 times but has never passed the group stage. Therefore, the presence of new coach V. Sundramoorthy is expected to help the Lao team change history at the AFF Cup 2018.
Waiting for "Laos Messi"
Lao football has only been invested in in recent years, so it is not surprising that the national team only focuses on 4 big teams. Lao Toyota and Lao Police Club have 6 players, while the defending champion Hoang Anh Attapeu has 4 players each. There are only 2 players in the Lao team who do not play domestically: strikers Vongchiengkham and Sayavutthi.
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| “Laos Messi” is the most dangerous player of the Laos team. Photo: Internet |
Four players of Hoang Anh Attapeu including Phoutdavy Phommasane, Bounthavy Sipasong, Paseuthsack Souliyavong and Oudomsith Singlatsomboun are spread across all three lines, but only 20-year-old defender Phoutdavy Phommasane is a regular starter. Phommasane is known as a very tough player, not afraid of collisions and often receives cards from the referee.
The most dangerous player of the Lao team is Souk Aphone Vongchiengkham, who is known as the “Laos Messi”, currently playing for Saraburi, the team ranked 2nd in the Thai National Championship. Vongchiengkham’s playing style is quite similar to Hoang Dinh Tung, a striker of FLC Thanh Hoa. Although only 1.56m tall, this Lao player plays very quickly. His ideal partner is Khampheng Sayavutti, a player with extremely annoying free kicks.
In Group A of the 2018 AFF Cup, Laos will have their first match against Vietnam on November 8 at home. The team of new coach Sundramoorthy will continue to face Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia on November 12, 16 and 20, respectively, a rather unfavorable schedule.
For many Vietnamese fans, despite their efforts and playing at home, "Laos Messi" and his teammates are just opponents that we need to beat on the way to winning the AFF Cup 2018 championship.
