Xuan Son is indispensable, HAGL star unexpectedly plays as a starter

The official lineup of the Vietnamese team in the second leg of the AFF Cup 2024 semi-final against Singapore (8:00 p.m. today, December 29) has been revealed.

In goal, goalkeeper Dinh Trieu continues to be the choice. Instead of sharing the starting position with Nguyen Filip in the group stage (each goalkeeper played 2 matches), Dinh Trieu was assigned the number one position by coach Kim Sang-sik from the semi-finals.

In defense, the three trusted central defenders are Duy Manh, Tien Dung and Thanh Chung. The two wings have Van Thanh (left) and Xuan Manh (right).

In midfield, Hoang Duc and Ngoc Tan will guard the midfield. In attack, Ngoc Quang, Hai Long and Xuan Son are the spearheads to form a 3-4-3 formation. Thus, compared to the first leg, coach Kim Sang-sik continues to replace half of the squad.

Việt Nam đấu Singapore: Xuân Son không thể thiếu, sao HAGL bất ngờ đá chính- Ảnh 1.

Việt Nam đấu Singapore: Xuân Son không thể thiếu, sao HAGL bất ngờ đá chính- Ảnh 2. — Quang Hai on the bench

Vietnam won 2-0 against Singapore in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 semi-final. Historically, teams that win the first leg of the semi-final with a 2-goal difference away from home always advance to the final.

Highlight Singapore 0-2 Vietnam - ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 Semi-final First Leg

"We won 2-0 in the first leg and have one foot in the final. However, the 2-0 score is still dangerous. The Vietnamese team understands that the second leg of the semi-final will not be easy, so we need to prepare and anticipate all problems. We will try our best when playing at home," coach Kim Sang-sik shared.

Việt Nam đấu Singapore: Xuân Son không thể thiếu, sao HAGL bất ngờ đá chính- Ảnh 3. — Nguyen Filip is still on the bench.

"In the first half of the match against Singapore, we could not score. Luckily, in the second half, the Vietnamese team tried hard. We have analyzed to understand Singapore's attack style, so we are ready for tomorrow's match. Hopefully, the players will be able to overcome the Singaporean opponent. They play long balls very well, so the players need to create pressure on the Singaporean side of the field," Mr. Kim further analyzed.

"We couldn't score in the first half of the previous matches. I don't think this is a problem, but simply the players were unlucky. We created many opportunities, but couldn't convert them into goals. However, the players are training well. In the second leg against Singapore, I will make adjustments to make the Vietnamese team stronger."

Coach Tsutomu Ogura of Singapore expressed the opposite opinion: "I cannot say what percentage chance Singapore has to surprise Vietnam. I want to ask Vietnamese reporters what percentage chance your national team has, or what will surprise us."

According to coach Ogura, the tight schedule at the AFF Cup 2024 will be an obstacle, forcing Singapore to make efforts.

"We only had 2 days to prepare after the first leg match with the Vietnamese team. The Singapore team only practiced yesterday morning, then traveled to Vietnam yesterday afternoon. Today, we had our official practice session. Hopefully the whole team will play well against the host Vietnam," the Singapore team coach emphasized.