K TWO PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES
The most obvious advantage of the Vietnamese team in the 2024 AFF Cup final is physical strength. After the second leg of the semi-final against Singapore, coach Kim Sang-sik's students have 3 full days to rest, recover and then practice for the first leg of the final, which will take place at 8 p.m. on January 2 at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho).
Vietnam team (left) is capable of winning the first leg of the final
Meanwhile, Thailand has just gone through 120 minutes of "hard battle" with the Philippines. Coach Masatada Ishii and his team only had half a day to rest, then had to quickly travel to Vietnam and have a full day to prepare for the final. With less time to rest and train, and having to travel a lot, it is clear that Thailand will have difficulty with physical strength.
Not only did the Vietnamese team benefit from the match schedule, coach Kim Sang-sik also had a clear strategy for the final. He rotated the squad, letting key players and reserve players play in rotation to maintain a good physical foundation. For example, Quang Hai, despite his important role, was used with moderate frequency. He only entered the field in the second half of the second leg of the semi-final against Singapore. Or Hoang Duc, although he started, but whenever he showed signs of fatigue, the 26-year-old midfielder would immediately be taken off the field. Xuan Son is a rare player who has played all three matches, but that was because he missed all three first matches in the group stage (because he was not eligible to play according to FIFA regulations at that time).
Mr. Kim's careful and calculating use of players helped the Vietnamese team play better and better. Although they only scored 1 goal in the first half (second fewest in the tournament), Mr. Kim's students played extremely well in the second half, as evidenced by the 7 goals scored from the 75th minute onwards. The Vietnamese team has a habit of "warming up" slowly, but once they get into the rhythm of the game, Quang Hai and his teammates are capable of sweeping away many strong opponents. Good physical strength, competitive spirit combined with flexible tactics are helping Vietnam become extremely dangerous in the final moments of the match.
If the Vietnamese team is good at scoring at the last minute, Thailand is good at... conceding goals after the 80th minute. In the two semi-final matches with the Philippines, coach Ishii's team both conceded goals in the last 10 minutes of the match. That was the time when Thailand was exhausted and easily made mistakes. Like the second leg semi-final at Rajamangala Stadium on the evening of December 30, the "war elephants" were scored by the Philippines to shorten the score in the 84th minute, then suffered under the suffocating pressure of the opponent. Previously, in the first leg, Thailand also played ineffectively in extra time and then lost. Coach Kim Sang-sik has carefully analyzed Thailand's weaknesses. Perhaps, the Vietnamese team will enter the match confidently at Viet Tri Stadium, bringing the match into a stalemate to wear down the opponent's physical strength. When Thailand is exhausted, Xuan Son and his teammates will rise up to decide the match.
A PIECE FROM DEFENSE
Facing an opponent as good at controlling the ball and passing the ball smoothly in the middle as Thailand, the Vietnamese team must arrange a solid defense in the middle. The battle in the middle will be very tense, as both sides have skillful and competitive midfielders (Ngoc Tan, Hoang Duc of Vietnam, Peeradon, Davies of Thailand). When the midfield has to immerse itself in the battle to keep possession of the ball with the Thais, coach Kim Sang-sik can expect lightning-fast attacking moves built from the defense.
In the second leg of the semi-final against Singapore, center back Duy Manh had two situations where he advanced and then passed the ball over the line, putting Ngoc Quang in a one-on-one situation. To implement this tactic, the Vietnamese team needs center backs who are good at passing the ball, along with midfielders who move intelligently to exploit the space.
With a team that likes to control the ball and press high like Thailand, there will be a lot of space exposed behind the defense. If they can "trick" the opponent into pushing high and then make accurate passes, the Vietnamese team will have a chance to counterattack.
To be fair, the Thai team is still the favorite in the AFF Cup final. The "War Elephants" have a smooth, coherent and diverse ball deployment plan. Even at their peak with coach Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese team has never been able to pressure Thailand. Therefore, choosing a style of play that knows itself and the opponent and cleverly exploits the opponent's weaknesses will be the path to victory for Mr. Kim and his team.
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-co-vu-khi-gi-de-ha-thai-lan-185241231201323651.htm
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