Better safe than sorry
The Singapore team entered the ASEAN Cup 2024 with doubts from fans. The matches at the Singapore National Stadium were empty and did not receive much attention. Even the two somewhat unconvincing wins against Cambodia and Timor Leste made coach Ogura Tsutomu and his team even more stuck.
But the way Singapore played against strong opponents has significantly changed the thinking of experts. The Lion Island team is truly a hard-to-beat warrior, ready to defend with a large number of players in the home field and looking to change state very quickly.
In fact, the Singapore team is missing a series of important pillars such as Irfan, Ikhan and Ilhan Fandi. Some other notable players such as Jacob Mahler, Song Ui-yong or veteran goalkeeper Hassan Sunny are also unable to play for various reasons.
Therefore, coach Ogura had to make do with the names playing domestically. The Japanese coach cleverly turned Shawal Anuar into a dangerous striker with 4 goals. Stewart, Nakamura and Ramli all showed their own professional value.
Vietnam team will explode
Despite playing away, coach Kim Sang-sik did not hide the Vietnamese team's ambition to win. With the format of the match not counting home and away goals, only a victory will help the "Golden Star Warriors" gain an advantage before returning to their home field.
Of course, the nature of the knockout match forces Mr. Kim Sang-sik to be cautious. However, it would not be surprising if the Vietnamese team played an all-out attack after the match.
Nguyen Xuan Son really brought great confidence to fans and teammates. 2 goals, 2 assists were enough to create an impressive debut for the Brazilian player.
Xuan Son helps the Vietnamese team attack more easily with his unique ball handling. The striker born in 1997 is very strong, fast and has good technical qualities. He will play the main role.
If Hai Long returns from injury, he will play as an attacking midfielder alongside Quang Hai behind Nguyen Xuan Son. To ensure the solidity of the midfield, Doan Ngoc Tan can pair up with Nguyen Hoang Duc.
The Vietnamese team's defensive framework is likely to see some adjustments. Nguyen Van Vi and Van Thanh are the pair of full-backs. Bui Tien Dung plays left-sided center-back, Do Duy Manh plays right-sided center-back and the center of defense is Nguyen Thanh Chung.
The squad is good enough, the players are in good form, the Vietnamese team will play at their best and beat Singapore.
The match between Vietnam and Singapore takes place at 8:00 p.m. today (December 26).
Expected lineup:
Singapore team: Izwan Mahbud, Ryhan Stewart, Amirul Bin Azmi, Lionel Tan, Irfan Najeeb, Kyoga Nakamura, Shah Shahiran, Faris Ramli, Hami Syahin, Glenn Kweh, Shawal Anuar.
Vietnam team: Nguyen Dinh Trieu, Vu Van Thanh, Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Van Vi, Doan Ngoc Tan, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Xuan Son.
