Vietnam team confident to face Malaysia

Departing for Kuala Lumpur this morning (June 6), the Vietnamese team will have 3 more days to review their squad to face the Malaysian team.

Departing for Kuala Lumpur this morning (June 6), the Vietnamese team will have 3 more days to review their squad to face the Malaysian team in the second match of Group F of the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10.

Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team's last training session in Vietnam had only 18 out of 23 players on the field. The absent players were: Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Duc Chien, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quoc Viet and Pham Ly Duc.

Fear of "no war"

Saying goodbye to the central defender duo Bui Hoang Viet Anh - Nguyen Thanh Binh due to injury, the Vietnamese team's defense is at risk of revealing its shortcomings in "air combat".

Bui Tien Dung, Do Duy Manh and Nguyen Thanh Chung, although rich in combat experience, do not have the height to compete for high balls and long balls. On the contrary, young talent Ly Duc is considered the tallest defender in the current Vietnamese team, but his international competition skills are still limited.

Vietnamese football’s ability to play aerial balls has improved significantly since the time of coach Park Hang-seo. At that time, the Korean coach had many students with an average height of 1.85 m, not afraid to face tall opponents from West Asia or South Asia.

However, not many players at that time still played for the national team under coach Kim Sang-sik. In the context of many Southeast Asian national teams massively naturalizing players, the fear of "air combat" returned to Vietnamese football.

On the journey to win the ASEAN Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team has encountered many difficulties when facing teams that are good at playing high balls and long balls. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has somewhat overcome their shortcomings since the appearance of naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son.

Coach Pham Minh Duc analyzed: "Under coach Peter Cklamovski, the Malaysian team often takes advantage of the individual skills of the naturalized players to deploy a pressing, all-out attacking style of play. They take advantage of their height and good physical strength to exploit set pieces or attack gaps behind the opponent's defenders. Therefore, the Vietnamese team's defense needs to have a plan to neutralize this style of play."

Fans expect the Vietnamese team (middle) to surpass the Malaysian team. (Photo: QUOC AN)

The key in midfield

The Malaysian team now has a completely different appearance compared to when competing in the ASEAN Cup 2024. Coach Cklamovski's team is no longer an easy team to "bully" in Southeast Asia. They have become a worthy opponent of the Vietnamese team in the competition for a ticket to the final round of the Asian Cup 2027.

Through two friendly matches with Cabo Verde - the 72nd ranked team in FIFA, the Malaysian team showed that the key to the tactical operation lies in the midfield. That is where the appearance of a team of naturalized players of South American origin with rich personal skills, ball control ability, and sharp vision for play.

Although there are many naturalized players, the reality shows that Malaysia's advantages and disadvantages come from this group of players. Despite careful preparation, Malaysia's naturalized players find it difficult to create cohesion when implementing tactics because they rarely play together.

On the contrary, the class of Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Tuan Hai, Thanh Chung, Duy Manh, Hai Long... has been proven at the ASEAN Cup 2024. That shows that the level of the "golden star warriors" is not inferior to the naturalized players on the Malaysian side.

Therefore, if they know how to lock down the "detonators" of attack on the Malaysian side, coach Kim Sang-sik's team can completely score points when meeting this team.

"The important condition for the Vietnamese team to properly implement their tactical intentions and complete their set goals is that the key players must maintain their best physical condition and form, avoiding any more unfortunate injuries before entering the "early final" match with Malaysia," coach Pham Minh Duc emphasized.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-tu-tin-doi-dau-malaysia-19625060522340363.htm