Vietnam team and advantages against Laos in the opening match of ASEAN Cup 2024

Expected lineup

No need to argue, strikerNguyen Xuan Sonis the name that is causing the greatest anticipation from Vietnamese fans. This naturalized player is expected to create enough destructive power on the attack line for coach Kim Sang-sik's team. However, that is a story of the future, when Vietnam meets Myanmar in the 5th match of Group B. Because in the first 3 matches, striker Nguyen Xuan Son is still not qualified to play with his teammates.

Not being able to use Nguyen Xuan Son in attack, but that does not make coach Kim Sang-sik too worried. BecauseVietnam teamThere is still Nguyen Tien Linh, the striker who is in very good form in the domestic league. After 9 rounds, the player of Binh Duong has 7 goals and is 1 of 3 players holding the record of scoring the most goals in V-League. Therefore, Tien Linh will be a reliable choice of coach Kim Sang-sik for the center forward position in the 3-4-3 formation of the Vietnamese team.

In the back line, having to choose 3 optimal central defenders is causing a pleasant headache for the Korean coach. Because players like Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Thanh Binh... are in quite good form and can completely meet professional requirements when given the opportunity to play.

However, through recent training sessions, it seems that the trio of central defenders of the Vietnamese team has been revealed for the opening match. In particular, captain Duy Manh will naturally have a starting position. In addition, Bui Hoang Viet Anh is also considered the favorite central defender of the Korean coach. The final position in the 3 central defender diagram will be the competition between Bui Tien Dung and Nguyen Thanh Chung. It is likely that central defender Bui Tien Dung, who is playing for Viettel, will be in the starting lineup of the Vietnamese team.

In the midfield, it is not difficult to predict that Nguyen Hoang Duc will definitely be the priority for the role of conductor, the one who creates the play for the red team. The two midfielders Thanh Long and Doan Ngoc Tan will compete for the position of ball-recovering midfielder. However, Thanh Long is attracting more attention from coach Kim Sang-sik.

In the Wing-back position on the left wing, Van Vi will likely be given a chance in the opening match of the Vietnam team; on the right wing will be Ho Tan Tai.

On the attack line, the starting position as a left winger is probably not difficult to predict when Quang Hai is the choice of coach Kim Sang-sik. On the opposite side, Tuan Hai and Van Toan will have to compete for the official position. These two players both have strengths, but if talking about the ability to seize scoring opportunities, Tuan Hai seems to be better than his colleague.

It can be said that the Vietnamese team has many advantages when entering this year's tournament as all the players are in good physical condition and form. Therefore, choosing the optimal lineup for the team will create a pleasant headache for the Korean coach. Hopefully, the players that coach Kim Sang-sik "chosen" for the match against Laos will have explosive performances, thereby helping Vietnam win.

Vietnam off to a good start

It is probably not controversial to say that the Laos team will be the underdog in this year's tournament. Because in the squad of coach Ha Hyeok Jun's army, there is no truly outstanding factor.

Before the AFF Cup 2024, coach Ha Hyeok Jun had crossed out prominent names of Lao football such as Thongkhamsavath, Vongchiengkham, Chanthalangsy. Therefore, most of the players of the Lao team are very young, only about 21 years old. Although these players play aggressively, they lack experience in the biggest tournament in the region. Therefore, the Lao team is considered to be just a weak team at the Asean Cup 2024.

On the other hand, in the 7 times they met Vietnam, Laos lost all of them, even by a large margin. Therefore, it will be very difficult for Ha Hyeok Jun and his team to make a difference even though they play at home.

Most likely, the Vietnamese team will win big to gain momentum in the opening match of the biggest tournament in Southeast Asia. This is also an opportunity for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to rekindle the love of fans for the national team./.