Overcoming challenges at the "cauldron" of Bukit Jalil

This match promises to present difficulties and challenges for the "Golden Star Warriors," so it requires the entire team to focus and play their best to achieve a good result.

The big challenge

In the final qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup, only the top team from each group will advance. In Group F, compared to Nepal and Laos, the Malaysian team is considered stronger, making them the biggest rival for the Vietnamese team in the competition for that single qualifying spot.

Both Vietnam and Malaysia won their opening matches, so the game at Bukit Jalil is crucial for both teams' chances of advancing. More than ever, the Malaysian team sees this encounter as an unparalleled opportunity to defeat Vietnam, thereby gaining a significant advantage in the race for a spot in the next round of this group.

Determined to win against Vietnam, the home team decided to hold the match at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, which has a capacity of 85,500 seats, instead of the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium with a capacity of 40,000 spectators, as they did in their victory against Nepal in the first match.

Bukit Jalil Stadium, the largest in Southeast Asia and the fourth largest in Asia, is nicknamed the "cauldron" due to the fervent enthusiasm of its fans. They blanket the stadium in black and yellow – the traditional colors of the national team – then jump, shout, and create such a deafening noise that the players can't even hear any instructions from the coaching staff.

The Malaysian team hopes that their home fans will turn Bukit Jalil into a sea of yellow and black, creating a vibrant atmosphere to "ignite" the home team and put immense pressure on the visiting team.

Historically, the Vietnamese national team has won 15 matches against Malaysia, drawn 3, and lost 5. Of those 5 losses, 4 came in away games against their opponent.

The last time the Vietnamese national team lost at Bukit Jalil Stadium was in the 2012 AFF Cup, when they were the defending champions but still lost 0-2. The most recent time the Vietnamese national team visited Bukit Jalil was in the first leg of the 2018 AFF Cup semi-final, when the team led by coach Park Hang-seo took a 2-0 lead but were still held to a 2-2 draw by their opponents.

Coach Kim Sang-sik, who previously led the Southeast Asian All-Stars to a 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Bukit Jalil in late May, will understand the challenges faced by visiting teams playing here.

“We had the experience of playing under immense pressure from the crowd at Thailand’s Rajamangala Stadium during the second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final. Playing at Bukit Jalil, I think it’s crucial for the players to believe in themselves, their teammates, and the coaching staff to overcome the pressure and aim for the best possible result,” Coach Kim Sang-sik expressed.

Determined to win

In order to defeat Vietnam and qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, the Malaysian national team has strengthened its squad by naturalizing and calling up players of Malaysian descent currently playing abroad. The "Harimau Tigers" have just added four naturalized players: Imanol Machuca, Rodrigo Holgado (Argentina), Joao Figueiredo (Brazil), and Jon Irazabal (Spain).

Previously, they had Facundo Garces (Argentina) along with several Malaysian-born players currently playing in Australia, England, Argentina, Belgium, and Finland. On the coaching bench, Peter Cklamovski is bringing a fresh perspective to the Malaysian national team. With a quality squad of naturalized and Malaysian-born players, the Australian strategist only needs to add some excellent local players and help them integrate well to create a formidable team.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese national team is facing significant personnel difficulties as many key players are absent due to injury, including forwards Van Toan, Xuan Son, Vi Hao, Cong Phuong, midfielder Ngoc Tan, and defenders Van Thanh, Thanh Binh, and Viet Anh. Given the current situation, a draw at Bukit Jalil would be an acceptable result, as Vietnam still has the return leg against Malaysia at home.

Nevertheless, coach Kim Sang-sik remains confident his players will do even better. “All matches are very stressful, but the joy is doubled when we overcome difficulties and win. I always believe the players will unite and strive to overcome the challenges. Although the qualifiers are played in a home-and-away format, we don't want to drop any points and aim to win all three points in the next match. In general, victory is always the highest goal for the Vietnamese national team,” the South Korean strategist expressed.

For his part, captain Do Duy Manh affirmed: “Before the match against Malaysia, I and my teammates are all very determined to achieve the best possible result. It will be a difficult match at Bukit Jalil Stadium, but we will leverage the strength of our team spirit, adhere to the strategy from the coaching staff, and prepare thoroughly to aim for a successful match.”

Similarly, midfielder Nguyen Hai Long also expressed his determination: “We respect our opponent, but the most important thing is the preparation and desire of the Vietnamese team to extend our unbeaten streak against Malaysia. This is a crucial match. The whole team is focused on achieving the best possible result in this game. Playing away from home is always difficult, but the whole team will concentrate fully and be determined to win 3 points.”

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/vuot-kho-tai-chao-lua-bukit-jalil-141323.html