'Unique' rematch: Vietnam team plays at Thong Nhat Stadium, but Nepal is... the host

The Vietnamese team will experience a strange feeling when playing the away team on their home field in the rematch against Nepal on October 14 in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Vietnam team to play Nepal again on October 14

The Vietnamese team defeated Nepal 3-1 in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, thanks to goals from Tien Linh, Xuan Manh and Van Vi.

In the match at Go Dau Stadium, the Vietnamese team was held back by Nepal with a score of 1-1 in the first half. Only when they had the advantage of more players, did Mr. Kim Sang-sik's students score 2 more goals in the second half to win all 3 points, thereby continuing to chase Malaysia for a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup.

On October 14, the two teams will enter the second leg (in the fourth round), when the Vietnamese team meets Nepal at Thong Nhat Stadium (Nepal chose Thong Nhat Stadium as their home field).

The Vietnamese team (red shirts) had a hard-fought victory over Nepal.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Due to the turmoil outside of football, Nepal could not host this match in their country. Coach Matt Ross's team decided to cede the hosting rights, so that the match would take place in Vietnam. Thong Nhat Stadium was chosen, where the Vietnamese team would once again play in their homeland, in front of the cheers of home fans.

However, in the upcoming match, the Nepal team will still play as the host team. The South Asian representative will use the locker room, hold technical meetings, press conferences, and enter the field... according to the host team's procedures. Because the host team in the match on October 14 still belongs to Nepal. Mr. Ross's team only borrowed Thong Nhat Stadium (instead of a stadium in Nepal) to host the match.

In theory, Nepal is the host team in the upcoming match. Vietnam will play as the away team on their own field. This is a new experience for many Vietnamese players under coach Kim Sang-sik.

Keep winning

Playing away from home without having to travel far, without having to adapt to new weather and climate conditions... is an advantage of the Vietnamese team.

The Vietnamese team had an unconvincing victory over Nepal on the evening of October 9. In the rematch, the goal of Hoang Duc and his teammates, besides 3 points, is to perform more sharply and cohesively, instead of the disjointed and deadlocked performance as shown at Go Dau Stadium.

The Vietnam team needs to play better.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

Meanwhile, rival Nepal also affirmed that they will study the Vietnamese team more carefully to show a new look, especially when they have all 11 players on the field.

"We will have to study more carefully before the rematch, learn from what happened (especially in set pieces) and accumulate experience. The Nepal team will prepare better for the next match in the next 4 days. The Nepal team will play on equal terms with the Vietnam team if they have enough players," said Mr. Matt Ross.

The Vietnam team was awarded 6.98 points after the 3-1 win over Nepal to have a total of 1,176.9 points, according to Footy Rankings (specializing in calculating FIFA rankings). Thereby, they moved up 1 place from 114th in the September FIFA rankings to 113th in the world .

If they beat Nepal in the rematch, Vietnam's ranking will continue to improve.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-tran-tai-dau-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-da-san-thong-nhat-nhung-nepal-la-chu-nha-185251010171832986.htm