Waiting for Mr. Kim Sang Sik to surprise

Will Xuan Son continue to score against host Singapore? – Photo: HOANG TUNG

For the first time at the tournament, the Vietnamese team will meet a Singapore team of better quality than the opponents they met in the group stage.

Singapore cannot be underestimated.

Despite the absence of many stars, the Singapore team still excelled in defeating Malaysia to join Thailand in the semi-finals. The more they played, the more they showed progress.

In particular, the lightning-fast counter-attacking style of play, attacking the gaps behind the opponent's defense, proved to be quite dangerous thanks to the impressive acceleration of the attacking players. The two goals Singapore scored against Thailand in the group stage were the clearest proof.

They also have a dangerous attacking duo, striker Shawal Anuar (4 goals, leading the "Top scorer" list) and Faris Ramli (2 goals).

Playing on the artificial pitch of Jalan Besar is also an advantage for host Singapore. Moreover, Jalan Besar is smaller than the national stadium where Singapore played in the group stage, so it will further promote the fast counter-attacking style against the Vietnamese team. In addition, coach Tsutomu Ogura has also carefully studied the strengths and weaknesses of the Vietnamese team to prepare a countermeasure. In particular, blocking Xuan Son will be the biggest priority.

Waiting for coach Kim Sang Sik's ability to handle things

With striker Xuan Son in the final round of the group stage against Myanmar, the Vietnamese team still could not score in the first half against the opponent's tight defense. This was also the case in the previous 3 consecutive matches. Only when Myanmar made a mistake at the beginning of the second half, the Vietnamese team was able to break the deadlock, opening the way for a resounding 5-0 victory.

But Singapore is not as weak as Myanmar. And they play at home with a large audience and the advantage of an artificial turf field. If Singapore continues to prevent Vietnam from scoring in the first half, coach Kim Sang-Sik's team will be under no small amount of psychological pressure.

This is what the Vietnamese team experienced in the 1-1 deadlock draw against the host Philippines, also on artificial turf. The Vietnamese team may even have to "regret" the opponent's quick counterattack. That is because the Vietnamese defense still made mistakes that almost cost them in the group stage.

Xuan Son continues to be the main striker of the Vietnamese team against Singapore. However, Xuan Son's ability to adapt to artificial pitches is also a question mark. In fact, Xuan Son once played on the artificial pitch at Jalan Bersar when Nam Dinh FC drew 3-3 with Tampines Rover in the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League Two. The Brazilian striker at that time, although he scored a goal to equalize 1-2 for Nam Dinh FC, still played quite poorly.

Now, Xuan Son will have the opportunity to reunite with 4 Tampines Rover players who are currently playing for the Singapore national team: center back Amirul Adli, right back Irfan Najeeb and the central midfielder pair Shah Shahiran - Kyoga Nakamura. This makes it difficult for Xuan Son to play as expected. At that time, coach Kim Sang Sik will also have to prove his ability to lead the team if Xuan Son is blocked on the artificial pitch.

Two important players Doan Ngoc Tan and Hai Long have returned to training with the Vietnamese team in Singapore in recent days. However, the possibility of both of them playing is still unknown because their physical condition is not yet 100%. Therefore, coach Kim Sang Sik is forced to make adjustments to the starting lineup for the first leg against Singapore. Among them is the possibility of using Quang Hai, instead of letting him rest as originally planned.

Without Hai Long on the right wing to replace the injured Van Toan, coach Kim Sang Sik can use Pham Tuan Hai. But it is not ruled out that Mr. Kim will use Van Thanh as a right winger as in the tactical training session on December 24. At the same time, let Tuan Hai play as a left winger to replace Bui Vi Hao. Fans are waiting for Mr. Kim to surprise Singapore.

Be cautious before Singapore

Coach Nguyen Tuan Phong

Although rated higher than Singapore, Coach Nguyen Tuan Phong believes that Coach King Sang-Sik and Coach Kim Sang Sik will choose a safe and solid playing style with the goal of winning at least 1 point away from home. And here is his analysis for Tuoi Tre:

“The artificial pitch is not too difficult because the quality meets FIFA standards and Vietnamese players have played on this pitch many times. However, in the 2022 tournament, despite dominating, the Vietnamese team was still held to a 0-0 draw by Singapore at Jalan Besar Stadium.

In this match, both teams will approach each other cautiously, probing each other. Although rated higher, because they are playing away, the Vietnamese team will not risk pushing forward to attack. This is because getting 1 point is also a success, waiting to return home to solve the problem in the second leg of the semi-final.

Although Singapore wants to win at home, they will not push the pace from the start. They will still choose a pragmatic style of play, waiting for opportunities to attack. Because Vietnam has striker Nguyen Xuan Son who is playing very effectively, if they push the squad up, the home team Singapore will expose gaps for Xuan Son to exploit. In addition, Xuan Son once scored at Jalan Besar Stadium for Nam Dinh FC in the Asian Cup C2.

In my opinion, the Vietnamese team will choose a squad that prioritizes safety and certainty at home with midfielders who can cover and support the defense such as Doan Ngoc Tan and Chau Ngoc Quang. In the 4 group stage matches, the Vietnamese team could not score in the first half despite having many opportunities. Therefore, taking advantage of opportunities to score early is something that the Vietnamese team needs to improve, because if they score first, it will create a much better mentality."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-ong-kim-sang-sik-gay-bat-ngo-20241226081203782.htm