Scenario for Vietnam to advance; Coach Park defends decision to shuffle squad

Scenario for Vietnam team to continue in AFF Cup 2022

In Group B, the ticket to the next round is only a competition between Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Laos (having played all 4 matches) and Myanmar (having played 3 matches) are definitely eliminated with only one point.

Vietnam has had 2 wins, 1 draw and 7 points, the same as Singapore. Coach Park Hang-seo and his team are ranked above Singapore thanks to a better goal difference (+9 compared to +3). Meanwhile, Malaysia has 6 points.

In the final match, Vietnam will meet Myanmar while Malaysia will face Singapore.

It is almost impossible for the Vietnamese team to be eliminated from the AFF Cup 2022. Photo: Viet Linh.

If they defeat Myanmar, Vietnam will certainly advance with 9 points.At this point, Coach Park and his team will take the top spot if Singapore loses points against Malaysia. Vietnam will lose the top spot if Singapore wins Malaysia by a large margin. For example, if Vietnam wins 1-0, Singapore must win 8-0 to take the top spot.

If the team draws with Myanmar, Vietnam will have 8 points and will still be sure to continue.At this time, if the Malaysia - Singapore match has a win - lose result, Vietnam team will be second in the group. If the two teams share points, Vietnam team will be first in the group.

If they lose to Myanmar, Vietnam will have a good chance of advancing with 7 points.If Malaysia loses points to Singapore, Coach Park and his team will enter the semi-finals.

Many conditions need to happen at the same time for the Vietnamese team to be eliminated.In terms of results, Vietnam lost to Myanmar and Malaysia won against Singapore. At the same time, Vietnam's goal difference must be lower than Singapore's after the final round.

For example, if Vietnam loses 0-8 and Malaysia wins 1-0, Coach Park and his team will be eliminated. At that time, Vietnam and Singapore have the same 7 points, but Singapore advances thanks to a better goal difference (+2 compared to +1). At this time, the top team in Group B is Malaysia with 9 points.

Even if they lose 0-5 to Myanmar, Vietnam is still certain to get a ticket to the semi-finals. If they lose 0-6, Vietnam will be eliminated if the Malaysia-Singapore match ends in a 4-4 draw.

Overall, the Vietnamese team is unlikely to be eliminated early in the AFF Cup 2022. Therefore, coach Park has the right to calculate personnel to best prepare for the semi-finals.

Coach Park defends decision to shuffle squad against Singapore

"In this match, we only drew, but the team still has one more match and will be determined to win against Myanmar," the Vietnam coach said after the fourth match of Group B.

Compared to the 3-0 win over Malaysia on December 27, coach Park today changed 8 starting positions, only keeping goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, center back Que Ngoc Hai and captain midfielder Do Hung Dung. Not using the strongest lineup made the Vietnamese team face difficulties against Singapore's crowded defense.

Coach Park Hang-seo directs the Vietnamese team in the match at Singapore's stadium on December 30. Photo: Hai Tu

However, Coach Park still defended his decision on personnel. "In this match, I changed and rotated a few positions, but it's not the first time I've made such a change. The team has 23 players, and we can't know who will be injured or have any problems. They are all national team players, they must always be ready to play anywhere, anytime, and must always determine what they must do in every situation," he argued.

"Everyone doesn't need to worry about that. We just finished the third match, when we return to Hanoi, we will continue to calculate for the final match against Myanmar."

Jalan Besar Stadium is an artificial turf field, unfamiliar to many Vietnamese players. However, coach Park is not sure if the field surface or the pressure of playing away from home caused some of his players to not handle their moves very smoothly. "FIFA recommends not using artificial turf fields, because it can easily cause injuries. But the AFF Cup 2022 regulations allow it. Maybe Singapore players are used to playing on this field, so it is easier for them to deploy their playing style, and in fact, today, Singapore also played well," the Korean coach added.

Ancelotti refuses to say Messi is the best in history

"It's difficult to comment," Ancelotti said on December 29 at a press conference ahead of the match against Valladolid in round 15 of La Liga. "Messi is a great player with a very spectacular career. But I don't know if Messi is the greatest player in history, because in each era there are different good players."

The Italian coach said he had enjoyed watching many stars throughout his career, such as the late legends Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff. He also mentioned coaching Karim Benzema - the winner of the 2022 Ballon d'Or, watching him train and play every day.

"I will never say Messi is the best in history," Ancelotti stressed.

Ancelotti and Benzema celebrate a Real Madrid win in La Liga 2020-2021. Photo: Soccrates Images

Ancelotti did not address the rumours of a rift with the French national team, believing that Benzema remains motivated and will help Real in the second half of the season. The Italian coach said that his player felt fine, played the entire first half of Real's practice match against Leganes on December 15 and was ready to "show all his qualities". He also praised Eden Hazard for training well, achieving a better form than the 2022 World Cup and will be given the opportunity to show his ability.

Ancelotti said Real Madrid have a busy schedule ahead and planning is complicated. "We have to keep the players in good shape," the 63-year-old coach said. "We have to give the players a break for the 2022 World Cup, when Real Madrid have to play every three days until the end of February."