Expert: Vietnam team will enter the semi-finals, especially with Nguyen Xuan Son

The Vietnamese team continued to go through a very difficult match at the AFF Cup 2024. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team could only regain 1 point against the Philippines in the 7th minute of injury time of the second half after a header by Doan Ngoc Tan.

The Vietnamese team has not yet been able to reassure fans, but at least the "golden star warriors" still have good results up to this point. Former national player Nguyen Tuan Phong has comments on the past journey of the Vietnamese team.

Philippines 1-1 Vietnam.

Coach Kim Sang-sik accepts risks

- The Vietnamese team wanted to win but had to work very hard to get a draw. Was the result and performance of the Vietnamese team against the Philippines good?

I think that when lining up this team, the coaching staff set a target of 1 to 3 points. A draw is not bad. With so many changes in positions, we cannot expect Vietnam to play well. The coaching staff may have two options. One is that they will use the main team and win this match at all costs, and use the reserves in the next match.

However, coach Kim Sang-sik understands that he still needs to win the next home match. The Philippines team is not really strong. Therefore, it is reasonable for Mr. Kim to choose this match to make many changes in positions. I think 1 point is enough.

The Vietnamese team still played better than their opponents but then got a bit confused because of the unexpected goal. The next match, the Vietnamese team will be comfortable.

- Coach Kim Sang-sik's decision to field a reserve team, changing 8 positions from the previous match, was clearly risky. In fact, the Vietnamese team did not achieve the desired results. Was this a mistake by Mr. Kim?

I think coach Kim Sang-sik also has his own difficulties, it is not easy to calculate. However, we are not in the game to know the physical condition and injuries of the players. It is also necessary to recognize that the replacement positions are also of good quality. Many are stars like Viet Anh, Van Thanh, Thanh Binh. I am just surprised that Dinh Thanh Binh is in the striker position.

Screen Shot 2024-12-19 at 8.38.35 AM.png

Vietnam team will enter the semi-finals easily, especially with Nguyen Xuan Son.

Expert Nguyen Tuan Phong

Constant travel is a problem, coaches have reason to complain, it is difficult to plan training sessions. Teams will be greatly affected physically, coaches need to divide the squad to use.

Vietnam still has an advantage over other teams. We have many good reserve players, not strangers.

- A draw in this match means that the Vietnamese team still needs to exert all their strength for the next match.

I think Vietnam will most likely win the group stage, avoiding Thailand. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team must reach the final. If they meet Thailand in the semi-finals, there will be more risks. Avoiding Thailand is a good thing, not a bad thing. Group A has teams like Singapore and Malaysia, which are not good.

I believe that the Vietnamese team will enter the semi-finals easily, especially with Nguyen Xuan Son.

The Vietnamese team has not made much progress.

- Up to this point, what are the good and bad points of the Vietnam team's performance at the AFF Cup 2024?

In all 3 matches, the Vietnamese team faced difficulties. In the match against Laos, the Vietnamese team only solved the problem in the second half. The same happened in the match against Indonesia. In the 90 minutes against the Philippines, the team almost lost.

The Vietnamese team has not played convincingly. Not even in the AFF Cup matches, but in the recent period, the Vietnamese team has not made much progress. The playing style is still not good, the squad has not been shaped.

Doan Ngoc Tan scored for the Vietnam team.

Up to now, I have not seen any impressive matches from coach Kim Sang-sik. What is worrying is that in the last 3 matches, the Vietnamese team has not been able to solve the match in the first half even though the opponent is weaker. Luckily, we still achieved good results.

The Vietnamese team did not start the game very well, although they always played better in the second half. This is a very difficult problem, not easy to solve because the star players are not as explosive as in previous years.

The only positive thing is that the results are satisfactory. Anyway, 7 points from 3 matches is good. The performance of the pillars is also quite good, need to improve. The final against Thailand or Indonesia will be risky.

- The Vietnamese team lacks players to solve the match. Is rookie Nguyen Xuan Son an effective solution?

The Vietnamese team still cannot play smoothly, lacking people to solve situations. Coach Kim Sang-sik will really need Nguyen Xuan Son. He is the number 1 star of V.League, can do many things. Xuan Son is naturalized from Brazil, his level is more certain, even far better than domestic strikers. With Xuan Son, the Vietnamese team can still win the AFF Cup 2024.

- Thanks for your analysis.

Mai Phuong

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chuyen-gia-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-chua-co-nhieu-tien-bo-ar914696.html