Vietnam team and calculations for the ASEAN Cup final

In the second leg of the semi-final at Viet Tri Stadium, the Vietnamese team certainly does not need to rush, while the opponent is forced to look for a result with goals without conceding, in order to gradually balance the game, try to reverse the situation and create a surprise at the end of the match.

More than ever, the Vietnamese team needs to defend firmly, maintain high vigilance and effectively neutralize the tactics that the opponent may deploy, especially long passes and sharp counter-attacks with the return of midfielder Nakamura.

Some have suggested that Kim Sang-sik should take advantage of the opportunity to use his reserve players or players who have not played much in the past, in order to save their strength for the two potential finals. However, others have warned that Singapore will go all out to "win everything," and if they concede the first goal at home, it will not be easy to organize an attack to equalize.

In the writer's opinion, the 2-goal advantage in the matchfirst legis the basis for the Vietnamese team to enter the second leg with a relaxed and confident mindset. It is important not to be subjective but also not to be too tense. The coaching staff and players need to learn from the mistakes in previous matches, absolutely not to repeat them. For example, the mistakes of Dinh Trieu and Duy Manh in the match against Laos that led to a penalty situation were clearly corrected in the following matches.

Of course, in top football, mistakes are inevitable. The important thing is to minimize them and quickly adjust. Players who make the same mistake over and over again will be easily exploited by the opponent. Fortunately for the Vietnam team, the reflexes of goalkeeper Dinh Trieu and the improvement in the playing style of players like Tien Linh and Xuan Son have helped the team overcome difficult moments.

Going back to the second leg, both teams clearly understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Mr. Kim Sang-sik has made careful calculations by rotating the squad throughout the tournament. Most likely, the first half will be a time for testing and observation, so that the second half will be the time for the Vietnamese team to launch decisive tactics.

Since the beginning of the tournament, although the performance has not been completely stable, we have seen the promising return of Quang Hai and the brilliance of Tien Linh and Xuan Son. The defense has only conceded 2 goals after 5 matches, which is also a commendable achievement. The leadership role of Mr. Kim Sang-sik has helped the Vietnam National Team regain its position in the region and move closer to the goal of the tournament.

Now, the immediate task is to play focused and effectively in the second leg of the semi-final to win a ticket to the final, successfully completing the initial goal. The failures in the semi-finals in recent AFF Cups will be the motivation for the team to overcome and regain what they missed.