WARNING FROM THAILAND
"Standing before tens of thousands of spectators at the Rajamangala Stadium, the Thai players understand what they have to fight for," coach Masatada Ishii affirmed at the pre-match press conference. This is a powerful warning from Ishii, as Thailand is ready to become a "beast" when backed into a corner. How strong is the Thai team when injured? The entire history of the AFF Cup, with 7 championships and 16 years of unbeaten matches at home, is the answer. The Vietnamese team has taken one step towards glory with their first leg victory, but the next step will be very difficult. Winning the AFF Cup on Thai soil is something few teams have achieved.
The Vietnamese team is capable of reaching the throne.
However, despite these difficulties and obstacles, Vietnam's victory will be even sweeter if coach Kim Sang-sik's team overcomes the Rajamangala Stadium challenge tonight. Coach Kim has already outlined his tactics for the return match after reviewing the footage of the previous 90 minutes at Viet Tri Stadium. Tight defense, maintaining close spacing to cover and prevent short passes, aggressive pressing in midfield, and quick counter-attacks with through balls directed towards Xuan Son… It's not difficult to imagine Vietnam's playing style. Eight encounters in just seven years is enough for us to understand Thailand, and our opponents are very familiar with Vietnam's playing style.
The Vietnamese national team has completed its training session and is ready to win the cup.
The Vietnamese national team trained at the Rajamangala Stadium on January 4th.
In the first leg, the Vietnamese team didn't dominate Thailand, but coach Kim Sang-sik's players still won thanks to their patience (to thoroughly exploit the opponent's mistakes) and composure (standing firm under pressure). These are inherent human qualities. Tonight's final will not depend on dry tactical procedures, but rather on a battle of reason, experience, and the players' mental resilience. Coach Kim Sang-sik cannot control everything, but he can only encourage and boost the morale of the Vietnamese team so that they can approach the Rajamangala Stadium with composure.
DETERMINED TO FIGHT, DETERMINED TO WIN
Having a one-goal lead from the first leg gives the Vietnamese team more control over their approach; however, for Thailand, attacking is their only option. Taking the initiative will give Kim's players a psychological advantage.
A solid defensive wall will be erected at Rajamangala tonight. At the 2024 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team has never truly had to strain themselves defensively before facing Thailand. Conversely, only Vietnam has presented the Thais with such a difficult problem to solve.
The Thai national team coach is confident he will find a way to control Xuan Son.
How strong can the Thai team's attack be? The last 20 minutes at Viet Tri Stadium served as a "rehearsal" for today's second leg match. Coach Ishii's players will press, passing the ball smoothly and relentlessly through the midfield. If Vietnam can maintain control of the midfield, they will have to withstand pressure from above, as their opponents also have diverse attacking strategies down the flanks. Suphanat Muenta will return, alongside Patrick Gustavsson, Ekanit Panya, Supachok Sarachat… forming a formidable attacking line for Thailand.
Commentator Quang Huy assessed: "Thailand will put pressure on us, attacking very strongly and diversely, but I believe Coach Kim Sang-sik's players are strong enough to stand firm, with their strengthened mental foundation. Conversely, besides defense, the Vietnamese team also needs attacking strategies. Xuan Son will be tightly marked by opponents, who may even resort to dirty tricks. With his inherent class, Xuan Son will move intelligently, striving to act as a target man to support his teammates. His teammates must be very perceptive to understand Xuan Son's playing style in order to move in sync with him."
I have high expectations for Vi Hao and Ngoc Quang, as they are Vietnam's first line of defense to prevent the opponent from building up play. Coach Kim might still use this duo to wear down the opponent in the first half; and in the second half, there will be new attacking players like Tuan Hai. The striker born in 1998 has just returned from injury, and with a coach like Kim, Tuan Hai will have a role to play in the final. With main striker Xuan Son, Vietnam's attack will have many valuable attacking ideas, but we need backup options."
A draw would be enough to win the championship, but how that draw turns out is also a big issue. When glory is both near and far, let's play with a warrior spirit so that no matter how the match ends, we have no regrets.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chung-ket-luot-ve-aff-cup-2024-thai-lan-viet-nam-quyet-dau-gianh-lai-ngai-vang-185250104232534773.htm
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