Xuan Son's "Death" Dance
Center back Chalermsak Aukkee was mentioned quite a lot after Thailand’s loss to Vietnam. Not because he lit up a ray of hope for the “War Elephants” with a header to reduce the score to 1-2, but because of the somewhat arrogant statement of this center back before the match.
“Who is Xuan Son? Try facing Jonathan Khemdee. I’m sure Jonathan is much stronger,” Chalermsak declared. Fate was ironic when this central defender clumsily lost the ball, then could not stop Xuan Son (even pulling him) in the situation that led to Thailand’s second goal.
And then, fans all over Southeast Asia had the chance to tease Chalermsak after the match. Now, everyone knows who Xuan Son is. CNN Indonesia admitted that the Brazilian striker is like a “monster”. So far, no defender in Southeast Asia has been able to stop Xuan Son.
After only 4 appearances in the AFF Cup, the striker born in 1997 has scored 7 goals and has no rivals in the race for the Golden Boot. Notably, this striker also showed his comprehensive ability when scoring 3 goals with his right foot, 3 goals with his left foot and 1 header.
“Crazy”, “extraordinary”, “world class”, those are the comments of many Southeast Asian newspapers about Xuan Son after the “destruction” of the Thai team. Meanwhile, ESPN emphasized: “It seems that Xuan Son alone can help the Vietnamese team win the AFF Cup championship for the third time in history”.
There was a time in the match against Thailand when the Vietnamese team tried to feed the ball to Xuan Son so that he could… handle it himself. But just like that, the Thai defense was still shaken. They seemed to “not know who Xuan Son is” so they did not have a good plan to stop the speed and aggression of this player.
If he had been luckier, Xuan Son could have scored 4 goals against Thailand, missing several clear opportunities. Even coach Masatada Ishii had to admit: “The Vietnamese team with and without Xuan Son are two completely different teams. The difference between them and the match against Thailand in September is that Xuan Son is in the squad.”
Whether we like it or not, we have to admit that since Xuan Son appeared, most of the goals of the Vietnamese team have had the mark of this striker. The dependence of the "Golden Dragons" on the Brazilian striker is increasing. But at least up to this point, coach Kim Sang Sik's plan to pass the ball to Xuan Son is still effective. The Vietnamese team benefits from that.
Warriors on the pitch
We cannot praise Xuan Son without forgetting the efforts of the entire team. The enthusiasm and passion of the fans is the clearest reflection of the team's success. There was a time when the Vietnamese players played in front of almost empty stands.
But now, the team’s success has created a real fever. Finding a ticket to Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) to watch the “Golden Dragons” compete is as difficult as going to heaven. On the streets, the loud cheers, the sky full of red flags with yellow stars, the sleepless nights with the intoxication of victory are gradually returning.
All of this is a reward for the efforts of the whole team, not just Xuan Son. Just look at the way Doan Ngoc Tan fought like a warrior on the field, holding back the pain to continue playing to see the indomitable spirit of the players. Ngoc Tan transformed into a "lungless man" when appearing at every hot spot on the field.
Statistics show that the midfielder born in 1994 had 44 touches, 13 successful duels, and 9 accurate tackles. In addition, the Thanh Hoa Club player was also fouled by Thailand 4 times. That is proof that Ngoc Tan has brought a certain discomfort to the Thai players, forcing them to commit fouls.
After the match with Thailand, Coach Kim Sang Sik repeated Coach Park Hang Seo's words affirming that the Vietnamese team is not afraid of Thailand. The strategist born in 1976 seems to have begun to spread the immortal flame, just like his compatriot did.
It is necessary to acknowledge the class of the Thai team, with sharp attacks. However, the efforts of the Vietnamese players to play with more than 100% of their strength have greatly limited the danger of the Thai team.
Sofa Score statistics show that Thailand held the ball 64% (compared to 36% of the Vietnamese team), made twice as many passes as the "Golden Dragons" (472 passes compared to 262 passes). However, coach Kim Sang Sik's team was more dangerous. We made 21 shots (compared to Thailand's 13), hit the target 9 times (compared to the opponent's 3 times) and created 4 clearly dangerous opportunities (compared to Thailand's 2 times).
Therefore, it can be affirmed that the Vietnamese team deserved to win against Thailand when showing superior danger. Coach Kim Sang Sik is gradually forming the framework and playing style for the Vietnamese team. Importantly, he is gradually turning the team into a more difficult team to defeat (compared to when he first took over).
It is no coincidence that Thailand's leading sports newspaper, Siam Sport, wrote a long article praising coach Kim Sang Sik. "Apart from Xuan Son, the person who contributed significantly to the victory of the Vietnamese team was coach Kim Sang Sik. He had a clever and skillful strategy in the match against Thailand," Siam Sport wrote.
This newspaper acknowledged that the Vietnamese team played with discipline under coach Kim Sang Sik. In addition, the Korean coach was also highly regarded for his ability to turn the game around thanks to wise substitution decisions. For example, in the match against Thailand, the appearance of Quang Hai brought immediate results when this player launched an attack that led to the opening goal of the Vietnamese team.
Perhaps, the current lineup of the Vietnamese team cannot be compared to the lineup that won the AFF Cup 2018 (except Xuan Son). But coach Kim Sang Sik is gradually overcoming weaknesses, taking care of every little thing, to create a new generation, with the light of revival for Vietnamese football. Not flashy, not big-headed, but Kim Sang Sik is gradually making his own mark.
Thailand is in danger of being cornered.
As soon as the Vietnamese team arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thailand), Coach Kim Sang Sik sent out a message: “The whole team has worked together to bring victory to the Vietnamese team, but we have only experienced the “first half”, there is still the “second half” in Thailand. I want you to forget the 2-1 victory in the first leg, and look forward to the return match. We need to win in Thailand.”
More than anyone else, coach Kim Sang Sik understands the danger of Thailand, so he is trying to keep the team's feet on the ground and give great motivation to his players before the decisive match at Rajamangala on January 5. That will be a match that promises to be much more difficult for the Vietnamese team than the first leg at Viet Tri Stadium on January 2.
In the stands, the Vietnamese players were no longer cheered by home fans, but by tens of thousands of Thai fans. This is the first time in the 2024 AFF Cup that the "Golden Dragons" have played at such a large-capacity stadium (nearly 50,000 people). It is completely different from the atmosphere at Singapore's Jalan Besar Stadium in the first leg of the semi-final (capacity of 6,000 seats).
Importantly, Thailand is always very dangerous when pushed into a corner. They show their bravery and coolness at the most difficult times. In the group stage of the 2024 AFF Cup, Thailand was once led 2-0 by Singapore but still came back to win 4-2. Or in the semi-finals, Thailand lost 1-2 in the Philippines but won 3-1 after 120 tense minutes.
Indonesian newspaper Bola also warned the Vietnamese team about the danger of Thailand in a corner. In the 2016 AFF Cup, Indonesia won 2-1 at home in the first leg of the final against Thailand but lost 0-2 away in the second leg.
If in the first leg, coach Masatada Ishii had planned to leave the brothers Supachok Sarachat, Suphanat Mueanta, creative midfielder Worachit Kanitsribampen, captain Peeradon Chamratsamee, defensive midfielder Weerathep Pomphan or central defender Jonathan Khemdee on the bench, then in the second leg, it is likely that these faces will be on the field from the start.
Supachok and Suphanat have the ability to create high breakthroughs thanks to their speed and technique. Worachit has excellent tactical vision, with his strength being passing behind the opponent's defenders. Peeradon has unexpected penetrations into the penalty area. Jonathan Khemdee is the one who Chalermsak Aukkee recommends more strongly than Xuan Son.
Unlike the somewhat cautious approach in the first leg, Thailand will likely deploy a more offensive formation in the second leg. Because they have nothing to lose. The pressure of the “War Elephants” promises to increase significantly compared to the first leg.
Watching Thailand compete in the AFF Cup 2024, it can be seen that this is a team with very good attacking tactics and formation distance. In addition, they have many options to surprise their opponents. This is the team with the best attacking style in this year's tournament.
However, no matter what, the Vietnamese team still needs to maintain calm and alertness in all situations. At the very least, the appearance of Xuan Son will prevent Thailand from being able to “attack recklessly” against the Vietnamese team. From a certain perspective, counterattacks with Xuan Son can create a breakthrough factor for the “Golden Star Warriors”.
This is the time when the Vietnamese team should not think too much about the immediate future, but need to focus all their strength on fighting a match of their lives in Thailand. The whole team needs to show exactly what coach Kim Sang Sik declared: "We are not afraid of Thailand".
Glory is just one step away from the Vietnamese team. Everything is ready for the moment of fire of the "Golden Star Warriors".
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