Timor-Leste team of coach Ze Pedro lost to defending champions, Vietnam team 0-7 in the opening match of Group A of ASEAN Cup 2026. Meanwhile, Singapore team had a 2-1 victory on the field of Cambodia team.
It doesn't matter how we win. The most important thing is that we won.
When watching the match between Vietnam and Timor-Leste, the score probably did not fully reflect Vietnam's strength. Timor-Leste had times of controlling the ball and causing some difficulties for the Vietnamese team. They were a well-organized team, but in the end, the quality of the Vietnamese team was clearly shown.
The goals Timor-Leste conceded came very quickly, perhaps they did not handle important moments well. However, we need to be vigilant because we cannot rely on the score to evaluate the opponent.
We need to be very careful because that result should not affect our thoughts about Timor-Leste," coach Gavin Lee said before the Singapore vs Timor-Leste match taking place at 6:00 PM on July 27.
Singapore won three points in the opening match even though their performance was not really too overwhelming compared to the Cambodian team. Coach Gavin Lee hopes his players will play better when facing Timor-Leste at home. In the previous 3 encounters between the two teams at the ASEAN Cup, the Lion City team has always won.
Analyzing further about expertise, Mr. Lee emphasized: "Football not only depends on what we prepare but also on the opponent's reaction. Only when we make good use of the opponent's mistakes and maintain focus can we achieve the desired results. It is a mistake to only focus on oneself and ignore the study of the opponent.
ASEAN Cup 2026 is the 5th time the Timor-Leste team has participated in the region's No. 1 football tournament. The defeat to the Vietnamese team marked their 17th consecutive defeat in the group stage of the tournament.
However, coach Pedro still has a positive attitude when preparing with his students to meet Singapore - a team that has been champion 4 times. He said: "Obviously, it was a heavy defeat for us. However, the most important thing is not to continue thinking or talking about that match.
The best response is to move forward and prepare as best as possible for the next match with Singapore. Our goal is to compete and continue to develop as a team".
