(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The Sovietsky Sport newspaper emphasized that the Russian team's visit to Vietnam was not for tourism . Instead, they highly regarded their two rivals, the Vietnamese and Thai national teams.
Recently, former football star Aleksandr Mostovoi suggested that the upcoming matches against Vietnam and Thailand are not very significant for the Russian team because the quality of their opponents is not high.
Russian media reminds their team to be cautious ahead of the match against the Vietnamese national team (Photo: Sohu).
Former Celta Vigo and Benfica midfielder believes the Russian national team gains nothing from facing teams outside the top 100 of the FIFA rankings. He used the word "ridiculous" to describe his team's upcoming matches against Vietnam and Thailand. However, Sovietsky Sport holds a completely opposite view, being cautious in its assessment of Russia's two upcoming opponents. The newspaper wrote: "Thailand and Vietnam have long been favorite holiday destinations for Russian tourists. These countries boast beautiful beaches with white sand, warm sunshine, and the hospitality of the local people. That is why they have become popular vacation spots worldwide . However, for the Russian team, their upcoming trip to Vietnam for a match is not a relaxing beach vacation. There, the Russian team will play against Vietnam on September 5th and Thailand on September 7th. What seemed like a relaxing trip to Vietnam has left coach Valery Karpin and his team with no time to rest. They have a busy schedule and difficult matches. This doesn't allow them to relax."
The Russian team possesses superior strength compared to the two representatives from Southeast Asia (Photo: Getty).
On the FIFA rankings, the Vietnamese national team is ranked 115th, Thailand 101st, and Russia 33rd in the world. Clearly, the difference in ranking between Russia and the two Southeast Asian teams is significant, but Coach Karpin's team should not underestimate them. Regarding the Vietnamese national team, Sovietsky Sport wrote: "The Vietnamese national team is going through a difficult period. They lost 8 out of their last 9 matches against opponents such as Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, and Kyrgyzstan. In this streak, they only won against the Philippines." This means the team no longer has a chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup." The Russian newspaper also assessed Thailand: "Like the Vietnamese team, Thailand also cannot qualify for the 2026 World Cup, despite having drawn with South Korea and China and defeated Singapore." Finally, Sovietsky Sport concluded: "Despite logistical difficulties and a busy schedule, the Russian team remains determined to win. Hopefully, the matches in Vietnam will end successfully for the team from the land of the White Birch."Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-nga-danh-gia-bat-ngo-ve-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-20240818122703706.htm
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