Searching for the "dominant and recessive genes" of the Malaysian national team.

ConductorAkram Mahinan

Central midfielder number 12 Akram Mahinan has a very aggressive playing style, quite similar to Ngo Hoang Thinh, a player who is rumored to be returning to play for SLNA. Coach Tan Cheng Hoe prefers a two-midfielder system, one acting as a "sweeper" like Syamer bin Kutty Abba (14), the otherAkram MahinanIt will perform the task of construction.

Midfielder Akram Mahinan (12) will become Quang Hai's opponent. Photo: Internet

Thai midfielder Sanrawat may excel elsewhere, but when facing the duo of Akram Mahinan and Syamer Kutty Abba, he is completely neutralized. While Syamer is particularly dangerous in tackling and recovering the ball, Mahinan excels at passing and controlling the game.

Witnessing the impressive performance of the player born in 1993, Malaysian football fans were able to somewhat forget the absence of veteran Safiq Rahim at this tournament.

Akram Mahinan was one of the few Malaysian players to have played in all the matches of the 2018 AFF Cup, and was one of the best players in both semi-final legs against Thailand. "I didn't play very well in the group stage match in Hanoi," Akram admitted. "Hopefully, I will perform better in the next match at Bukit Jalil."

In Malaysia's pressing style of play, the 25-year-old midfielder will become a rival to Quang Hai. It's worth noting that both Akram and Quang Hai have already received a yellow card, and it's highly possible that after the match at Bukit Jalil Stadium, they might not be able to participate in the return leg at My Dinh Stadium unless they take precautions.

Small-barreled artillery

If they can capitalize on opportunities and be creative, the defense will keep a clean sheet when facing Malaysia. The return match in Bangkok is a prime example; the Thai players were overwhelmed by the impressive pressing style and frequently made mistakes, even when they had a man advantage.

Under coach Tan Cheng Hoe, the Malaysian national team's style of play resembles that of a second-tier European team. The 0-2 defeat at My Dinh Stadium was due to Tan's deployment of a pressing formation lacking attacking players capable of creating breakthroughs. It feels as though he fell into the trap of his South Korean counterpart's "luring the tiger out of its lair" tactic.

The Vietnamese national team has a great chance of lifting the gold trophy. (Photo: Trung Kien)

Before the final match, Malaysia had 9 goals after 6 games. But Mr. Tan only had 3 players who scored, including Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (5 goals), captain Zaquan Adha Radzak (3) and right-back Syahmi Safari (1) - who was suspended for the first leg against Vietnam. This explains why, despite dominating possession and having a lot of space, Malaysia scored few goals; this cannon only had "two barrels".

In the 4-4-2 formation, the two strikers Norshahrul Talaha and Zaquan Adha frequently swapped roles, causing confusion in the opposing defense. Thailand paid the price when their defenders failed to control this duo, allowing them too much space. Norshahrul's equalizer in Bangkok, making it 2-2, was a result of his intelligent movement, escaping a defense with seven players.

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe's familiar tactic is to have Talaha drop deep, while the two wing midfielders Safawi and Sumareh actively push forward, transforming the team into a 4-3-3 formation. Sumareh, a naturalized player of Gambian origin on the right wing, is strong in terms of physicality and speed, and unexpectedly produces skillful ball control and bursts into the penalty area with high impact.

Although he hasn't scored yet, this number 13 player is actively contributing to disrupting and wearing down the opponent. On the Bukit Jalil pitch, Sumareh will play a role in containing Doan Van Hau and preventing him from participating in attacking support.

Malaysia, playing at home, will relentlessly press their opponents to suffocate them and finish the game. Meanwhile, Park Hang-seo is adept at employing a defensive style, conceding possession to the opponent and then unexpectedly scoring through sharp counter-attacks. The tactical approaches of these two coaches are like fire and water, making the 2018 AFF Cup final even more exciting to watch!

AT