What does the Vietnamese team need to stand firm against Thailand?

DI’M EASY AND DIFFICULT TO GO ABOUT

The 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the final helped the Vietnamese team move one step closer to the 2024 AFF Cup championship title. However, the remaining step will be much more difficult, when coach Kim Sang and his team – sik must be a guest in the second leg of the final at Thailand’s Rajamangala Stadium (8:00 p.m. on January 5). In the Southeast Asian playground, playing on the Thai field is never simple.

Besides the heat of a real “pan of fire”, Rajamangala Stadium or other home stadiums used by Thailand also give this team confidence. In the last 15 matches played at home, Thailand lost only 2 matches, both against top-class Asian teams like China or Korea. And in the AFF Cup, Thailand has been unbeaten in the last 27 matches (won 22, drawn 5) when playing at “homes” like Rajamangala or Thammasat.

For the past 16 years, the home field has been a strong stronghold for Thai people to dominate the AFF Cup. Because even if they lose away from home, Thailand always reverses the return match at home. The last team to beat Thailand away from home in the AFF Cup was Vietnam, in the final leg of the 2008 AFF Cup with a score of 2-1. At the AFF Cup 2024, Thailand won all three matches at Rajamangala Stadium, against Malaysia (1-0), Cambodia (3-2) and the Philippines (3-1). Although the number of goals Thailand scored at home this year is not as many as away, this is still a fulcrum for the “war elephant” to knock down opponents.

BSTEEL FIELD PHOTO

The Vietnamese team won against Thailand in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final with the strategy of knowing yourself and knowing others. Proactively push the team up to put pressure on the central defender duo to win the ball, keep the team’s distance soft and flexible to easily switch from defense to attack, ready to defend deep at home, creating The two-layer wall shielded Dinh Trieu’s goal, bringing the match into a physical struggle… is what the Vietnamese team did at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of January 2 to trap the away team.

Facing an opponent with good ball control, rhythmic attacks and attacks like Thailand, the Vietnamese team patiently defended, applied pressure, then repeatedly broke the opponent’s passes and counterattacked powerfully. Coach Kim Sang-sik shared that if Xuan Son had worked hard, the Vietnamese team could have won more heavily. But regrets have stayed behind. Mr. Kim’s students need to be united for the return leg, which promises to be very difficult to breathe at Rajamangala.

With a 1-goal advantage and a counter-attack defense strategy that has fully promoted the effectiveness of the first leg, the Vietnamese team will maintain the same playing style in the rematch. When Thailand is forced to accept risks to attack, the space behind the defense will be even more exposed. At the 2024 AFF Cup, defense is becoming a weakness for coach Masatada Ishii and his team, with many mistakes in handling the ball or marking people that the Vietnamese team has thoroughly exploited.

On the Rajamangala field on the evening of January 5, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team need to continue to create a tense and tight match both in terms of tactics and psychology. Good defense and quick attack will be the way for the Vietnamese team to once again hold back Thailand. The shortcomings in the first leg need to be thoroughly acknowledged. Vietnam’s defense was still vulnerable in aerial combat, typically losing the goal at the end of the match when Thanh Chung and Tien Dung misjudged the landing point, allowing Thai midfielder Chalermsak Aukkee to comfortably slide into the middle to head in and score. Be careful, because Thailand has many attack plans, from aerial combat with Patrick Gustavsson, Chalermsak, Pansa Hemviboon to softball with Suphanat Muenta, Ekanit Panya or Peenadon, all of which are skillful and agile.

Vietnam’s attack deployment ideas also need to be more diverse, instead of “leaving” it to Xuan Son. Strikers like Vi Hao and Ngoc Quang played lacklusterly and were out of rhythm in the first leg, forcing Xuan Son to take on many tasks. The striker born in 1997 is still very dangerous, but cannot rely on just one individual. Mr. Kim is still in the hands of Tien Linh, Tuan Hai, and Hai Long to manage other pieces.

However, the core of victory still lies in psychology. When the opponent is in a hurry, the Vietnamese team must be even more calm. A good mentality will help Mr. Kim’s students maintain strength and discipline, and not get caught up in Thailand’s playing style. We must maintain high concentration in the face of the home team’s strong moves, then patiently wait for the opportunity to counterattack, even though Vietnam’s window to “strike” in the second leg will be very narrow. Holding gold in hand, the Vietnamese team needs to hold it tightly. Glory is very near!