Coach Alfred Riedl is wary of Cong Vinh, admitting he is the underdog against the Vietnam National Team.

(Baonghean.vn) – Before the semi-final match of the AFF Cup 2016, on the tournament's homepage, the head coach of the Indonesian national team declared that Vietnam is the strongest opponent in this year's tournament, second only to the Thai national team.

Still maintaining his opinion about his old team, the former head coach of the Vietnam national team said: “In my opinion, the Vietnam national team is the second best team in Southeast Asia after Thailand. They are an experienced team with many talented players. Coach Nguyen Huu Thang was my former captain in the national team, and is now doing well in his new position.”

Coach Alfred Riedl once led the Vietnam national team in 2007 and now, he does not hesitate to praise his old team before the important match tomorrow.

Commenting on the semi-final match taking place tomorrow, the Austrian coach did not hesitate to admit: "It will be very difficult for us to reach the final. The Vietnamese team may be a little stronger than us, but coach Nguyen Huu Thang and his team will have to prove this in 90 minutes on the field."

Before reaching the semi-finals, the Vietnam national team had a record of 3 consecutive wins against Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia. In this achievement, it is impossible not to mention the contribution of striker Le Cong Vinh - Vietnam's leading scorer.

“I have known Cong Vinh for 13 years. He is a great guy and a good player. We have tried everything to limit Cong Vinh's range of activities. Although it will not be easy, we have a plan. Not only him, Vietnam has many dangerous players in attack."

Coach Riedl will take a gamble.

Previously, speaking to the Jakarta Globe, coach Riedl said: “The Vietnamese team is very strong, and they have almost no notable weaknesses for us to exploit. However, I will take a risk with my gamble.

Regarding the tactics of the game, it is not important at all. The problem is which players we have and which are suitable to apply for the tactical intention, then we can be successful. You have to balance between attack and defense. If you play with 5 players on offense and only 1 player on defense, you cannot win. Through the group stage matches, Indonesia played very balanced with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation. Therefore, I will continue to promote this tactic in the match against the Vietnamese team."

"To get a ticket to the semi-finals, we overcame Singapore thanks to the great fighting spirit of the whole team. And once we get here, we will never give up" - Coach Riedl concluded.

Trung Kien