In the world rankings, the Syrian team is ranked 95th, 5 places higher than the Vietnamese team. In the last two World Cups, 2018 and 2022, the Syrian team both excelled in the third qualifying round. Notably, Syria almost had a ticket to the intercontinental play-off to determine the final spot for the 2018 World Cup, but they lost this historic ticket to Australia.

The Syrian team (red shirts) in the recent 3-1 victory over Thailand. Photo: VFF

The Syrian team is currently led by famous coach Hector Cuper, who helped Egypt participate in the 2018 World Cup and is also a strategist who made a name for himself in Europe when he and Valencia reached the UEFA Champions League final twice (1999-2000, 2000-2001), won the Spanish Super Cup with Real Malloca (1998), or helped Lanus club win the Copa Commebol... During the FIFA Days last March, the Syrian team beat Thailand 3-1 and lost to Bahrain 0-1. All of the above information shows that the Syrian team is a big challenge for the Vietnamese team.

The Syrian team took this friendly match very seriously, arriving in Vietnam early on June 12 to practice and get used to the weather conditions. This careful preparation showed the great determination of Hector Cuper and his team in the match against the Vietnamese team, a match whose outcome will greatly affect the rankings of the two teams on the world rankings.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team just had a lucky 1-0 victory over the Hong Kong team (China) in a recent friendly match at Lach Tray Stadium ( Hai Phong ). Coach Philippe Troussier and his team deployed a ball control style of play but there were still many errors, especially in defense and lack of coordination. Currently, the Vietnamese players have not been able to adapt to the new style of play applied by the French coach. Even key players such as Hoang Duc and Tuan Anh have not been able to fully demonstrate their abilities. As a result, the Vietnamese team's attacks have become slow and lacked innovation; the ability to pass the ball inaccurately has led to many times being predicted by the opponent, losing the ball dangerously.

Quang Hai (right) is trying to regain his form. Photo: VIET AN

In addition, many former pillars of the Vietnamese team are working hard to practice and compete to regain their form. The most typical cases are Quang Hai, Cong Phuong and Van Toan. After making efforts to show in the match against Hong Kong (China), Quang Hai continues to be trusted by coach Troussier when he is included in the list of 30 players preparing for the match against Syria. Meanwhile, Cong Phuong and Van Toan will most likely be the main players against Syria. In addition, the French coach is also looking for a breakthrough in young players when calling up 7 players of the U23 age group to prepare for this match. It can be seen that the Vietnamese team is showing great determination to win against Syria to satisfy the expectations of the fans.

In the history of confrontation, the Vietnamese and Syrian teams have met 3 times with a fairly balanced record: 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. However, the above head-to-head record cannot reassure Vietnamese fans as the home team has not yet operated smoothly under the "reign" of new coach Philippe Troussier. An extremely difficult match awaits the Vietnamese team and this will help our players gain experience to prepare for the upcoming journey.

Expected lineup

Vietnam : Van Lam; Van Thanh, Tan Tai, Van Hau, Ngoc Hai, Hoang Duc, Tuan Anh, Xuan Manh, Quang Hai, Cong Phuong, Van Toan.

Syria : Alma; Al Midani, Jenyat, Kerdagli, Krouma, Al Marmou, Anz, Kawo, Al Mawas, Khribin, Al Somah.

HOAI PHUONG