Coach Hoang Anh Tuan: "Thailand team is very dangerous when cornered"
Báo Dân trí•05/01/2025
(Dan Tri) - Coach Hoang Anh Tuan predicts that Thailand will be more dangerous than a few days ago, when they play the second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final at home at Rajamangala Stadium.
*The second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand will take place at 8:00 p.m. tonight, Sunday (January 5), at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok (Thailand). Dan Tri will report this match live.
Coincidentally, the last time a Vietnamese team won an official international tournament, we won the cup in Thailand. That was the U23 Vietnam team that won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship in 2023. And the person who led the U23 Vietnam team to win the Southeast Asian Championship in Thailand was Coach Hoang Anh Tuan. Now, the Vietnamese national team is facing a great opportunity to win another championship in Thailand, this time against the Thai people, at their own national stadium, Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok). Former coach of the U23 Vietnam team, Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, assessed that the team of Coach Kim Sang Sik (Korean) currently has many advantages to reach the highest peak of regional football . Coach Hoang Anh Tuan spoke with Dan Tri reporter. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan led the Vietnam U23 team to win the 2023 Southeast Asian U23 Championship in Thailand (Photo: Do Minh Quan).
The Thai team will be very dangerous when in a corner.
How do you evaluate the chances of Vietnam winning the AFF Cup 2024, will we successfully defend the 2-1 lead after the first leg final on January 2? - In theory, all possibilities are possible. One of those possibilities is that the Vietnam team has a great chance to win the championship. However, in all situations, we must be very careful. We need to be careful because when a team has only one chance to achieve what they want, that team will be very dangerous. The Thai team is in such a situation, they must win against the Vietnamese team. The current situation of the Thai team is similar to the situation of the Singapore team in the second leg semi-final against the Vietnamese team not long ago. The only thing is, Thailand is different from Singapore. Compared to the Lion Island team, the Thai team is stronger, more balanced, and has better individuals. Thailand is in a corner (Photo: Tien Tuan).Specifically, what is the danger of the Thai team, sir? - First, as I said, they will play in a cornered position like Singapore a few days ago. Second, in this second leg of the final, Thailand will play at Rajamangala Stadium, not Viet Tri Stadium of the Vietnamese team. Third, Thailand's strength is very good, the Thai attack scored the best goals in the tournament. Even in the first leg of the final, they still controlled the ball and the game better than the Vietnamese team. We are better than them in terms of efficiency in certain situations, with a few individuals shining at the right time. As for the overall statistics of the match, Thailand is better. Of course, in football, there is a difference between practice and theory, but the statistics cannot be denied. We cannot underestimate the statistics, while Thailand is possessing very impressive statistics. Coach Kim Sang Sik is highly regarded for his chance to make history (Photo: Tien Tuan).
Be proactive in controlling the ball, avoid unnecessary mistakes
Facing a very strong opponent like Thailand, what should the Vietnamese team do? - I believe that coach Kim Sang Sik has a suitable strategy for Thailand in the second leg of the final. Mr. Kim will let the whole team play carefully and tightly. Don't forget, time is on the side of the Vietnamese team. At least, coach Kim Sang Sik will not let the Vietnamese team concede the first goal. If the Vietnamese team concedes an early goal at Rajamangala Stadium, we will be in danger against Thailand, because they will certainly be in high spirits in front of a large home crowd. The Vietnamese team must limit mistakes in simple situations. Mistakes like the header that Khuat Van Khang made in the match against the Philippines in the group stage must not be allowed to happen. If mistakes like this happen against Thailand, the Vietnamese team's goal will be severely threatened, because Thailand finished very well. What about ball control, is that another point that the Vietnamese team needs to pay attention to when facing Thailand? - We have to control the ball, want to keep the defense strong, limit conceding goals, the Vietnamese team needs to control the ball well in the midfield area. The Vietnamese team must control the ball well in midfield (Photo: Tien Tuan). We also saw in the first leg, when Vietnam took a two-goal lead and retreated to preserve the lead, Thailand regained control of the ball, how dangerous they became. If they controlled the ball, controlled the midfield, they would pressure Vietnam, putting us in danger. Our loss in the first leg came when we lost the midfield, but that loss was not the fault of the defense. When Thailand gained control of the ball, their players passed the ball, moved and shot very well, but the defense of the Vietnam team at that time was not to the point of being called vulnerable in defense.
The Vietnamese team faces many favorable conditions to win the AFF Cup.
Another thing that is likely to happen in the second leg of the final is that Thailand will block striker Nguyen Xuan Son. If that happens, what should the Vietnamese team do, sir? - We still have a strategic card in Tien Linh, we have factors that can make good changes such as Quang Hai, Hoang Duc. We have Chau Ngoc Quang who becomes more dangerous every time he is pushed up higher, close to Xuan Son, and Doan Ngoc Tan who is very active in midfield. Moreover, Xuan Son himself is currently in very good condition, both physically and in form, so it is not easy to mark this player at the moment. In addition, in terms of playing style, the Vietnamese team has many conditions to operate different playing styles, suitable for the situation on the field. Xuan Son is highly expected in the rematch with Thailand tonight (Photo: Do Minh Quan). The Vietnamese team has more conditions to win the championship than Thailand, after we took the lead in the first leg. If we draw in the second leg, the Vietnamese team can still win the championship. Therefore, we have nothing to rush. The important thing for the Vietnamese team is to have a plan to control the current score well. Does that mean the Vietnamese team has a plan to control the Thai team, we have a plan to be ready to step up to the throne in Southeast Asia? - Everything is happening very smoothly for the Vietnamese team. First, Xuan Son joined the team when he was in the best condition. If it was Xuan Son at the beginning of the 2024-2025 V-League season, he might not be in the best condition he is now. This is a valuable addition to the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024. Next, during the tournament, all calculations of the Vietnamese team went smoothly, we topped the group to have a favorable schedule, favorable opponents in the knockout round, we won in the semi-finals, won the first leg of the final. Everything is in the calculations of the Vietnamese team. Therefore, the championship is within our reach. I wish the Vietnamese team to win the AFF Cup 2024. Winning this tournament is already great, it would be even more wonderful if we won right on Thai soil! Thank you for the interview!
Former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam: "We need to be on guard against Thailand's set pieces" Talking to Dan Tri reporter, former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam said: "Thailand exploits set pieces very well, thanks to their team of players with good technique, a well-organized squad, plus many positions with ideal physique, who can go up to head the ball when needed." Thailand's defense in this tournament is not strong (Photo: Manh Quan). "The Vietnamese team needs to be wary of Thailand's set pieces. In the first leg of the final, we almost lost a goal from Suphanat Mueanta's free kick that hit the crossbar. The brothers Supachok Sarachat and Suphanet Mueanta are both skilled players. They work well together, and when they appear on the field at the same time, the Thai team's attack will be very strong. I think this duo will appear from the start in the second leg of the final, not sitting on the bench like in the first leg. In addition, Thailand has a very fast striker Patrik Gustavsson," Mr. Lam added. However, just like the first leg of the final, before the second leg, former VFF Vice President Duong Vu Lam pointed out the weakness in Thailand's defense: "Thai defenders are tall but not quick, as evidenced by Xuan Son's trouble in the first leg of the final, at Viet Tri Stadium, when Xuan Son accelerated." "The important thing is that the current Thai defenders do not play as strangely as Theerathon Bunmathan, so the Vietnamese strikers are less provoked. The Thai defenders are not as strange as the other lines in this team's formation, so they are more likely to make mistakes than other positions in the Thai team. They also like to play horizontally, rarely play in a "slanted line", so the covering is not good," Mr. Lam advised coach Kim Sang Sik before the second leg of the final tonight.
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