(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Since their 3-0 victory in the 1998 AFF Cup semi-final at Hang Day Stadium, the Vietnamese national team has not won against Thailand at home in the Southeast Asian Championship.
The first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand will take place at 8 PM tonight (Thursday, January 2nd) at Viet Tri Stadium ( Phu Tho province ). Dan Tri will provide live coverage of this match.
The story of the past: At the 1998 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team unexpectedly defeated Thailand 3-0 in the semi-finals. This was one of the biggest surprises in the history of the Southeast Asian Championship. However, it is noteworthy that after that victory, the Vietnamese team did not defeat Thailand again in home matches in official tournaments. 
Will Xuan Son help the Vietnamese national team transform before facing Thailand? (Photo: Thanh Dong).
The last time the Vietnamese national team beat the "War Elephants" (the nickname of the Thai national team) in the first leg of the AFF Cup final was in 2008. However, that victory, under coach Calisto (a Portuguese), took place at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok (Thailand). Vietnam won the 2008 tournament after a 1-1 draw against Thailand at home in My Dinh Stadium, ultimately winning 3-2 on aggregate over two legs. Thailand has a superior head-to-head record against Vietnam, that's something that doesn't need repeating. However, history is only for reference. For example, the Philippines, after 52 years without a win against Thailand in official competitions, recently defeated the Thai team in the first leg of this year's semi-final on December 27th. Therefore, the important thing for the Vietnamese national team right now is how we change, how much progress we make, in order to defeat Thailand at home, as well as to win the overall AFF Cup 2024. The current situation is also related to history: the Thai national team has never won the AFF Cup three times in a row. According to history, if the team from the Land of Smiles won in 2020 and 2022, they cannot win this year's tournament.
The striker duo of Xuan Son and Tien Linh are extremely dangerous (Photo: Do Minh Xuan).
This illustrates that if we compare history to the present, the Thai team itself could face psychological issues, not just the Vietnamese team. Therefore, the problem for both sides is purely a matter of professional skill. The professional ability of the two teams will be the deciding factor in tonight's (January 2nd) first leg semi-final at Viet Tri Stadium. The Vietnamese team currently boasts a very strong forward line, arguably the strongest in Southeast Asia, with the duo of Xuan Son and Tien Linh, who have never appeared in international tournaments before. Each of them is outstanding individually, and when they combine, they work very well together, leading to excellent teamwork. Furthermore, because Tien Linh and Xuan Son have played together infrequently since the start of the tournament, opponents have very little material to study this striker pair. Xuan Son could be a breath of fresh air in the match between Vietnam and Thailand, shifting the balance of power in this encounter. 27 years without a win against the Thai team on their home ground is simply a number, not a standard for judging the outcome of a match. The result depends on technical skill, and from a technical standpoint, even the Thais wouldn't dare claim they're not intimidated by a striker as strong and technically gifted as Xuan Son on the Vietnamese team. Alongside Xuan Son, there's Tien Linh, and behind him, Hoang Duc and Quang Hai provide support. Therefore, the Vietnamese team needs to be confident in their own abilities.Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ky-vong-o-xuan-son-and-the-nearly-30-year-old-breakdown-of-the-vietnam-team-against-thailand-20250102114817172.htm
Comment (0)