Vietnam - Laos Team: Time to show class

Vietnam needs to quickly adjust its mindset for the new journey. Photo: Bao Ngoc.

Vietnam's first opponent in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup is the familiar name Laos. The Vietnamese team, from teachers to players, are consistent with the goal of stabilizing their playing style, reducing unnecessary mistakes and winning, even winning big. Because this is the time for us to show our true face.

The campaign officially begins

In the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team must win first place in the group to get a direct ticket to the final round.

This is not a difficult task, but it is not easy either. It is not difficult when the opponents in the same group are all rated lower than Vietnam. It is not easy because, knowing that they are weak, the opponents are trying harder and harder to narrow the gap with the stronger team. When the Vietnam team still makes unnecessary personal mistakes, the task of winning must be taken more seriously.

After 3 months, the players must still be elated with the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship. We won convincingly, but we need to quickly forget that achievement and return to earth. This is no longer the time to play for fun, but to play for real to calculate points. We not only have to beat Laos, but also have to win by a large margin to compete for the secondary index.

The AFC has changed the competition format since the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. Accordingly, the groups will not have tickets for the second-placed or third-placed teams with the best results like in previous rounds, but only the first-placed team will advance. The Vietnamese team must compete with the spirit of every match being a final, limiting losses, scoring many goals, and making the most of every opportunity.

"This is an official qualifying match, the players need to meet the psychological and physical requirements to compete. The most important thing is to pass the group stage, so the first match is very important. Scoring many goals will help the team advance more easily. I hope tomorrow the players will score many goals right from the first half," Coach Kim admitted the importance of goal difference in this campaign.

We need to win big against Laos. Photo: Duy Hieu .

Vietnam national team from youth level to national level has many memorable lessons about goal difference. Therefore, just 1 goal conceded can greatly affect the situation.

In the friendly match with Cambodia, despite controlling the game and winning, the Vietnamese team still could not avoid some sloppiness after a long period of lack of concentration. Tuan Hai, Quang Hai, and Van Thanh did not play at their best. Dinh Trieu made a mistake that led to a goal.

Or even in the match against Laos at the opening of the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Dinh Trieu also made a mistake that led to an unnecessary loss.

These are issues that must not be repeated in the rematch with Laos on March 25.

A smooth start makes a smooth ending.

As long as we can fix the mistakes from the friendly match against Cambodia, we will definitely have good results. After all, opponents Laos and Cambodia are at the same level. The Vietnamese team has won against Cambodia, there is no reason why we cannot take all 3 points against Laos. Moreover, the Vietnamese team has never lost to this neighboring opponent even though there were difficult times. The important thing is how coach Kim and his team will win.

"We will not let Vietnam have an easy game. We can even think about 1 point," said Laos head coach Ha Hyeok-jun.

Under the guidance of Mr. Ha, Laos has improved and drawn with a goal against Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, scoring in all 4 group stage matches of the ASEAN Cup 2024. That is the reason why the Vietnamese team must be more careful.

After the days off, the players will somewhat recover and regain their spirit. Tien Linh is likely to return to the starting lineup and be ready to take on the responsibility of the main striker as before the Vietnam team had Xuan Son.

Van Vi will likely return to the starting lineup in this match instead of the failed experiment named Viet Hung. Vi is currently the best choice on the left wing, having been recognized for his level at the ASEAN Cup, when he showed good coordination with the attacking players of the Vietnamese team.

Van Vi starting from the start will help the Vietnamese team play easier. Photo: Duy Hieu.

Despite the changes, the Laos team is still considered an underdog. In an official match instead of a friendly, the players need to adjust their mentality and show the qualities of a senior and a Southeast Asian champion.

In some ways, winning against Laos at the beginning of each tournament is favorable for the Vietnamese team.

At the ASEAN Cup, we met Laos in the opening match and won 4-1, thereby creating momentum for the championship journey.

In the third qualifying round of the Asian Cup, we will also play Laos in the first match. If we win, the Vietnamese team will have a favorable start, before advancing to secure a ticket to Saudi Arabia, to participate in the biggest tournament in the continent.