Keeping a cool head for the rematch, the Vietnamese team will defeat Singapore at Viet Tri

DI SMALL STEPS, the team will succeed

Was the 2-0 victory over Singapore of the Vietnamese team in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2024 first leg really eye-catching? The answer is no. Before Tien Linh and Xuan Son scored goals in the long overtime period, coach Kim Sang-sik’s students went through 90 minutes of “hardship” against Singapore. On the artificial turf of Jalan Besar, the Vietnamese team could not coordinate well with the ball and had no attacking rhythm. Only 30% of the time holding the ball, an average of only 2 passes per minute… proof of the most dominant match since the beginning of the tournament for Xuan Son and his teammates.

The Vietnamese team had to play the ball long, with many lucky passes that could not overcome Singapore’s tall defense line. Vietnam’s opening goal also came from a situation where the opponent confusedly made a mistake, rather than arranging a deliberate attack. Overall, over 100 minutes on the Jalan Besar field, the Vietnamese team’s playing philosophy had no specific shape.

However, overcoming all those difficulties, the Vietnamese team still won 2-0. Remember in the group stage, champion candidate Thailand, despite being praised for its level of playing, only beat Singapore with a difference of 2 goals, and the score-setting goal also came in the last seconds (Vietnam team even win matches of a more difficult nature). Every victory is equally valuable in two aspects: results and beliefs. Speaking of faith, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have taken a very long step forward after overcoming difficulties at Jalan Besar Stadium.

The Vietnamese team has passed the stage where winning is… natural. The force reform and change in football thinking from early 2023 to late 2024 has pushed the team into crisis. There was a time when Hoang Duc and his teammates only won 1 out of 12 matches, continuously failing in core tournaments such as the 2023 Asian Cup or 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Vietnamese team is required to play well and win at the same time. This is impossible, because the time to practice and prepare between matches is very limited. When the schedule was tight, one match had not yet been played and the next match had to be considered. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his students did the best they could.

Every victory now brings a drop of faith, and every drop is equally precious. On the night the Vietnamese team defeated Singapore away from home, fans crowded together in Viet Tri (Phu Tho) to get tickets to enter the stadium. The long line of spectators waiting to buy tickets, or the fiery stands at Viet Tri Stadium, although not large, but imbued with emotion… are a response to the efforts of the Vietnamese team, sent to coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. message: as long as the players try hard, the fans will definitely not turn away.

KIT IS NOT SUBJECTIVE

The Vietnamese team has placed one foot in the final with a 2-goal away win, but Mr. Kim and his team cannot be subjective. 10 years ago, the Vietnamese team also won away from home in the first leg against Malaysia, but when returning home, consecutive mistakes caused the team then coached by Mr. Toshiya Miura to lose a painful 2-4, leaving then missed out on tickets to the finals.

The Vietnamese team has passed the time of collapsing due to silly mistakes. But every historical lesson has its own value. Facing the Vietnamese team on December 29, Singapore’s opponent has nothing to lose. In a corner position, Singapore was shocked when they held the Chinese team (World Cup 2026 qualifiers) to a draw with their feet, or scored 2 quick goals against Thailand in the AFF Cup 2024 group stage. The spirit cannot be underestimated. Singapore’s fighting. As coach Kim Sang-sik said, “everything is still ahead”.

The Vietnamese team needs to strengthen the midfield. In the first leg of the semi-finals, Quang Hai and Hoang Duc lost to the muscular midfielders and fought fiercely on Singapore’s side. Even though the defense had a clean sheet, it also revealed many gaps, especially when predicting where to fall. The finishing stage is still a problem when, besides Xuan Son and Tien Linh, the Vietnamese strikers all lack coolness.

Of course, it is inevitable that there will be shortcomings in the inherently patchy team, with the spirit of error and correction that Mr. Kim Sang-sik is building. The Vietnamese team needs to correct every small detail, and more importantly, stabilize their mentality for the rematch. Keep your feet on the ground for the decisive competition. Through triumphs and difficulties, Mr. Kim’s experienced team understood what they had to do.