What challenges await the Vietnamese team as they face off against Myanmar?

The 1-1 draw against the Philippines on December 18th meant the Vietnamese national team missed the opportunity to secure an early ticket to the semi-finals of the 2024 Southeast Asian Football Championship (AFF Cup). Theoretically, Coach Kim Sang-sik's team still had many chances to advance, as Vietnam only needed at least one point against Myanmar to qualify for the next round as the top team in Group B.

However, the Vietnamese team still faces the risk of elimination if they lose to Myanmar by a margin of two goals or more. As long as the tournament is still underway, the possibility of elimination remains. This is especially true now that Myanmar is in a desperate situation. They absolutely must defeat Vietnam to have any chance of advancing. In this context, securing even one point against Myanmar is predicted to be a difficult task for the Vietnamese team.

The physical condition of the Vietnamese national team players has deteriorated.

First, the fitness of the Vietnamese players will be questioned. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has just gone through a packed schedule of matches and travel. After the match against the Philippines on the evening of December 18th, the Vietnamese team didn't board their plane until late on December 19th and arrived in Hanoi in the early morning of December 20th. Immediately, Tien Linh and his teammates traveled from Hanoi to Phu Tho to prepare for the match against Myanmar tonight (December 21st). It's clear that the Vietnamese team only had a mere day to prepare for this crucial final group stage match.

Vietnamese midfielders like Hoang Duc are expected to have a tough time against Myanmar's tenacious defenders.

The physical condition of the Vietnamese players will be somewhat depleted. At the official training session at Viet Tri Stadium on December 21st, coach Kim Sang-sik received bad news: Doan Ngoc Tan and Nguyen Hai Long experienced health problems, requiring separate training sessions and medical attention. These two players are very important under coach Kim, given their performances at the AFF Cup 2024 so far. Hai Long scored the opening goal in the 4-1 victory against Laos. Meanwhile, Ngoc Tan played the hero with a goal in injury time, helping Vietnam secure a precious point on home soil in the Philippines.

Xuan Son is about to take to the field, ready to shine in the match against Myanmar.

Myanmar's strengths

Conversely, physical fitness is considered Myanmar's strongest point, alongside their do-or-lose mentality in their fight to defeat Vietnam. In their opening match against Indonesia, Myanmar demonstrated excellent physical fitness. Particularly in the first two-thirds of the game, Myo Hlaing Win's team displayed a very disruptive style of play.

Thanks to their superior physical fitness, the Myanmar players consistently pressed with high intensity and fiercely contested the ball, making it difficult for their opponents to build up play. Despite having better possession, the Indonesian team struggled and only managed to break through Myanmar's defense in the 76th minute thanks to a powerful throw-in by Pratama Arhan.

The Myanmar team must win against Vietnam to have any chance of advancing.

When the Vietnamese team faces Myanmar, a similar scenario is likely to repeat itself. Vietnam will probably take control of the game, while Myanmar will play defensively and rely on their familiar style of pressing and quick attacks. If the Vietnamese team still fails to demonstrate the fluid passing and coordination seen in the previous three matches, they will certainly face difficulties against Myanmar.

However, Myanmar's tenacious playing style is physically demanding. In the second half, many Myanmar players will be exhausted. The Vietnamese team can exploit this by increasing the tempo of the game, constantly pressing to deliver the finishing blow to their opponent.

Installing screens to broadcast the match live in Viet Tri.

To allow fans to watch and cheer on the Vietnamese national team tonight (December 21st), the organizing committee will install a screen to broadcast the match live at Hung Vuong Square in Viet Tri City. Viet Tri fans can come to this location to watch and cheer.

The ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 will be broadcast live and in its entirety onFPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/aff-cup-thu-thach-nao-cho-doi-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-khi-phai-quyet-chien-myanmar-185241221082631879.htm