The match between the Vietnam national team and Laos is the opening game in coach Kim Sang Sik's team's campaign to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. Therefore, the Vietnam national team is expected to give their all in this match to secure all three points, especially playing at home.
The Vietnamese national team had a "dress rehearsal" with a friendly match against the Cambodian national team. In that match, coach Kim Sang Sik used a starting lineup that was not much different from the ASEAN Cup 2024, except for the absence of Xuan Son due to injury.
To be fair, although Coach Kim Sang Sik's players won, they didn't leave much of an impression. Especially in the second half, after Coach Kim Sang Sik made personnel changes, the Vietnamese team played lacklusterly and didn't make much of an impact. However, the result of a friendly match doesn't reveal much when the players didn't give their all.
As the reigning ASEAN Cup 2024 champions, the Vietnamese national team is currently a real "unknown quantity" when facing regional opponents. In the ASEAN Cup group stage, despite playing away from home, Vietnam had little difficulty securing a 4-1 victory. That was also the match where Xuan Son did not play as he was not yet eligible to participate.
If in top physical condition, Tien Linh will most likely remain the leading striker in the attack. The 2024 Vietnamese Golden Ball winner is currently leading the top scorer list this season, ahead of many quality foreign players. This demonstrates the strength of Vietnam's top striker at the moment.
Laos national team coach Ha Hyeok Jun previously commented that the Vietnamese national team hasn't changed much, meaning that coach Kim Sang Sik will most likely continue to use the same lineup that brought success in the ASEAN Cup in this match.
Upon arriving in Vietnam, coach Ka Hyeok Jun emphasized that the Laos national team wanted to create a surprise in this match. Previously, in a friendly match against Sri Lanka, the Laos team did not have a good result, losing 1-2.
Compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the biggest unknown for the Laos national team is the three naturalized players: defender Victor Ngovinassack (Is-Selongey Football, France), midfielder Roman Angot (SV Linx, Germany), and forward Theo Klein (Omaha Mavericks, USA). This means coach Kim Sang Sik and his team must be cautious, as these players are all highly regarded for their skills.
Vietnam's expected starting lineup: Dinh Trieu – Bui Tien Dung, Duy Manh, Thanh Chung – Khuat Van Khang, Hoang Duc, Doan Ngoc Tan, Tien Anh – Hai Long, Tien Linh, Quang Hai
Predicted score: Vietnam 3-1 Laos
Source: https://vov.vn/the-thao/dt-viet-nam-dt-lao-an-so-tu-nhung-cau-thu-nhap-tich-post1163580.vov
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