Will meet again under this special condition…

Two years ago, the second leg of the 2022 AFF Cup final between Thailand and Vietnam had to be moved to Thammasat Stadium (on the outskirts of Bangkok) because Rajamangala Stadium (located in the center of Bangkok) was hosting a music event. The tens of thousands of spectators trampling on the grass made Rajamangala Stadium unqualified to host an official match at the AFF Cup.

My Dinh Stadium cannot host major events at the same time, including football.

The Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) stipulates that the grass surface must be maintained in good condition at least 21 days before the match takes place. The Anh trai say hi music night held on December 7 means that the Vietnamese team will not be able to play their home matches in the group stage of the AFF Cup 2024 here, when they face Indonesia (December 15) and Myanmar (December 21). Therefore, the VFF is forced to consider other options, in which Viet Tri Stadium is emerging as the leading candidate.

Viet Tri Stadium (rebuilt in 2005 and fully upgraded in 2019) has a capacity of 20,000 seats, and hosted Group A of men's football at the 31st SEA Games. Most recently, this stadium was chosen by the VFF as the venue for the 2025 AFC U17 qualifiers. Previously, the Asian Football Confederation surveyed the stadium and was completely satisfied with the facilities here as well as the accommodation conditions at the hotels in Phu Tho, meeting the requirements of the visiting teams. Another very important detail is that the travel time by car from Noi Bai Airport ( Hanoi ) to Phu Tho is only about 45 minutes, quite convenient when foreign teams come to Vietnam to compete.

Commentator Ngo Quang Tung commented: “If the My Dinh stadium leadership has signed a contract with the organizer Anh trai say hi, then we must respect it. Everyone is worried that if the team does not organize at My Dinh stadium, they will lose money on ticket sales, but it is not certain that playing at My Dinh will ensure a full stadium. Actually, at this time, the attraction of the Vietnamese team is not great, if we look back at the number of spectators in recent matches. Therefore, if we play at smaller stadiums, with a capacity of 20,000 - 30,000 seats, it is not a problem. On the contrary, sometimes the presence of the Vietnamese team in other localities will help enrich the cultural and spiritual life of the people there.”

According to the scheduled schedule, the Vietnamese team will play two home matches in the group stage against Indonesia and Myanmar, and two away matches in Laos (December 9) and the Philippines (December 18). If they pass the group stage, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will have the first and second leg matches in the knockout round on December 26, 27, 29 and 30, giving enough time for My Dinh Stadium to complete maintenance of the turf and welcome the Vietnamese team back.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-chia-tay-san-my-dinh-se-tai-ngo-voi-dieu-kien-dac-biet-nay-185241108214222408.htm