Evaluating the championship ability of Vietnam and Thailand at AFF Cup 2024
The second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand will determine the strongest team in Southeast Asia, full of drama and excitement.
At this point, with the advantage leaning towards Vietnam after a 2-1 victory in the first leg, let's analyze the championship potential of both teams.
Assessing Vietnam's ability to win
Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to win the AFF Cup 2024 after a historic home win in the first leg. With the decisive goal from Xuan Son, coach Kim Sang-sik's team is holding a 2-1 advantage. A draw away at Rajamangala, Thailand will help them complete their journey to conquer the throne.
It is worth noting that Vietnam has had impressive performances since the beginning of the tournament, especially their sharp counter-attacking ability under coach Kim Sang-sik. With the presence of Xuan Son, who has scored 7 goals at the AFF Cup 2024 and is the team's best striker, Vietnam can fully take advantage of counter-attacking opportunities to find more goals. The solidity of the defense, despite facing strong pressure from Thailand, is also an important factor helping the team gain confidence before the second leg.
Assessing Thailand's chances of winning
Despite losing 1-2 away from home in the first leg, Thailand are still a formidable opponent with the ability to turn things around. In the past, the "War Elephants" have repeatedly proven their mettle in competing at the AFF Cup, especially in difficult times. They lost 1-2 to the Philippines in the first leg of the semi-finals but managed to turn the tables in the second leg and advance to the final.
With a strong squad, Thailand will have key players like Suphanat, Suphachok, and Chalermsak Aukkee, who scored in the first leg, keeping their hopes alive. However, coach Alexandre Gama’s team will face huge pressure from over 40,000 fans at Rajamangala. Thailand will take the initiative to attack, looking for at least one goal to bring the match back to the starting line, and from there, nurture the hope of turning the situation around.
The difference
In confrontations between the two teams, the psychological factor always plays an important role. Vietnam is currently in high spirits thanks to the victory in the first leg, and that confidence can be a great motivation for coach Kim Sang-sik's students to continue to maintain stable performance. On the other hand, Thailand may face pressure from needing to score at least one goal, which can cause them to stumble upon defensive gaps for the opponent to exploit.
However, the important thing is that Thailand does not lack the ability to score and come back. With the return of the pillars and the determination to win to win the 8th AFF Cup, they will not easily let Vietnam easily protect the advantage.
Score prediction
With the above analysis, Vietnam's championship potential is very bright. The 2-1 advantage in the first leg and their sharp counter-attacking style of play could make it difficult for Thailand to reverse the situation at Rajamangala Stadium. Score prediction: 1-1, helping Vietnam officially win the AFF Cup 2024.
Although Thailand will not give up easily, with a strong spirit and reasonable tactics, Vietnam can completely overcome this final challenge to win the third AFF Cup title in history.