On the morning of December 13, Timor Leste coach Simon Elissetche attended a press conference before the match against Singapore in the third round of the ASEAN Cup (formerly known as AFF Cup) 2024.
He shared: "In tomorrow's match, we want to compete fairly with Singapore, showing the same determination as in the previous match against Malaysia. I want my players to play with determination and bring good results.
We respect Singapore, but we still want to beat them. Timor Leste will do their best, defending tightly when they have the ball and trying to attack when they have the ball. After two defeats, now is the time for us to get our first points."
The Chilean strategist added: "I am grateful to Hanoi fans in particular and Vietnam fans in general who came to cheer on Timor Leste in the opening match at Hang Day Stadium.
Although the match was not good, the audience still supported the players. After the match, I received many encouraging messages from Vietnamese friends, which helped the whole team gain more confidence. Hopefully, we will continue to receive that support tomorrow. Timor Leste will perform better to give to Vietnamese fans."
Notably, in the press conference, coach Simon Elissetche also gave advice to the Vietnamese team, if they win a ticket to the ASEAN Cup semi-finals against Thailand or Malaysia.
"Thailand play fast, control the ball well and can stretch the opponent's formation. If we can cut off their passing lanes, we will have a better chance of competing, otherwise it will be very difficult.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian team has experienced players like Paulo Josue or Edrick. These are the factors that control the game, move flexibly and are the destination of the passes. Although Malaysia's speed is a bit slower than Thailand's, they know how to make a difference," said Mr. Simon.
For his part, Timor Leste player Joao Pedro shared before the match: "Tomorrow, the whole team will try to do our best against Singapore. We are improving with each match and hope to get a good result.
Regarding the nickname "running machine" that Vietnamese fans gave me, I personally quite like it. It is a positive thing for me to improve and make more efforts.
Against the upcoming opponent Singapore, if I have the ball and the chance to run, I will try 10, 20 times harder than in the previous match. I believe that all the players in the team want to win 3 points. We will all run together and try together to achieve the goal."
The match between Timor Leste and Singapore will take place at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (December 14) at Hang Day Stadium.
