AFF Cup 2024 semi-final second leg, Vietnam

NEED TO FOCUS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE OF THE SEMI-FINAL

"The 2-0 score is still very dangerous, requiring the Vietnamese team to try their best," coach Kim Sang-sik shared before the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 semi-final against Singapore. Although Mr. Kim affirmed that the victory in the first leg at Jalan Besar Stadium has put the Vietnamese team one foot in the final, but to take the other step, Quang Hai and his teammates must be very focused in the rematch tonight.

Xuan Son is expected a lot

Although they won, the Vietnamese team still had many shortcomings in their playing style. One of them was the ability to counter high balls, with the types of situations that coach Kim Sang-sik had carefully prepared for his players in advance, but entering the match, the Vietnamese defense still made mistakes. Thanh Chung and his teammates often encountered problems with direct long passes from Singapore's home field to the penalty area, because they did not judge the landing point and the competition well. Before Tien Linh and Xuan Son scored in the extra minutes to bring victory to Vietnam, the away team's defense had a "suffocating" time when the ball was continuously crossed by Singapore players.

Highlight Singapore 0-2 Vietnam - First leg semi-final ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024

In addition, there is the ability to compete and withstand pressure. In the first leg, Mr. Kim prioritized the attack when placing both creative midfielders (Quang Hai and Hoang Duc) in the midfield. However, that was an unreasonable choice when both were weak in one-on-one competition, leading to the inability to deploy the game. The Vietnamese team struggled to defend on Jalan Besar field with only 33% possession and a small number of passes. Coach Kim Sang-sik's students won the match thanks to being better in key situations. Overall, the fact that they were… handicapped in the midfield and had to play long balls throughout the match showed that the Vietnamese team still could not deploy a coherent style of play.

The return of the Japanese star (number 7) will strengthen Singapore

Those are the details that coach Kim and his team must carefully consider before the rematch with Singapore. Immediately after the victory, coach Kim Sang-sik met with his team to dissect the tape and analyze the match to prepare for the second leg. The Korean coach affirmed that he could not think about the final when difficulties still existed. The Vietnamese team needed to learn from the opponent's mistakes in the first leg, to stay focused until the last seconds. The Singapore team had nothing left to lose. With a relaxed mentality, and the muscular and direct playing style shown in the first leg, coach Tsutomu Ogura and his team still had a chance to cause a surprise. The opening goal would be key in the second leg. If the Vietnamese team took the lead, Singapore's ability to come back would decrease. But if the away team took the lead, the match would be very unpredictable.

ENTER WITH CAUTION

It is likely that the Vietnamese team will enter the second leg match confidently and cautiously tonight. Although playing at home and having a superior force, it will not be easy for Mr. Kim's students to attack and dominate their opponents because their playing style is not coherent enough, and their defense is not strong enough to take risks. Therefore, prioritizing a moderate game, then taking advantage of sudden accelerations is the "best strategy" for the Vietnamese team to "pressure point" their opponents.

The away team has no way back, so they are forced to attack. The gap behind Singapore's defense will be revealed, giving Xuan Son, Vi Hao or Tien Linh the opportunity to accelerate.

Vietnam (right) will fight to the death

Under coach Kim Sang-sik, although the Vietnamese team's attacking style is not yet smooth and clear, the whole team is very strong in transitioning from defense to attack. Quang Hai and his teammates can play minimalistically, approaching the opponent's penalty area with only 2 or 3 passes. Mr. Kim prioritizes lightning-fast and effective attacks instead of complicated ball possession. That is a tactic suitable for the Vietnamese team's counter-attacking style.

The more eager the opponent is to attack, the more coldly the Vietnamese team must set traps. It will be difficult, but if they maintain a good formation distance to ensure a solid defense and effective counterattack, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will firmly hold the key to victory in their hands. The last time the Vietnamese team fell in the semi-finals despite winning the first leg was at the 2014 AFF Cup. After 10 years, Vietnamese football has matured in terms of competitive spirit and tactical thinking. That maturity needs to appear at Viet Tri Stadium tonight, so that the Vietnamese team can overcome the final hurdle to enter the 2024 AFF Cup final.

Watch ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 live & in full on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ban-ket-luot-ve-aff-cup-2024-viet-nam-singapore-quyet-thang-de-lay-ve-chung-ket-185241228225453453.htm