After the process of gathering, training and preparation, the Vietnamese team will enter the journey at the AFF Cup 2024 with the opening match against the Laos team at the country's national stadium.
This is also the first official tournament for coach Kim Sang-sik and the "Golden Star Warriors" after more than half a year taking over the head coach position left by his predecessor Philippe Troussier.
In the opening match, Duy Manh and his teammates were rated higher than the home team. As for the Laos team, despite their progress in recent years, they are still one of the weaker teams in Southeast Asia. Coach Ha Hyeok-jun brought the second youngest squad to the tournament with 15/26 strikers under the age of U23. These are all faces that have not yet made a breakthrough in their expertise.
The Laos team caused a surprise when they drew 1-1 with Thailand during the FIFA Days in November with a tight, well-coordinated style of play. However, friendly matches are often used to test out the squads, so they cannot truly reflect Laos's true strength.
On the other side, the Vietnamese team is considered a potential candidate for the championship with the minimum goal of reaching the final match. Taking over the position of head coach in the context of the red team's strength being seriously reduced and the trust of fans significantly reduced, the pressure on Mr. Kim Sang-sik is not small.
After a series of disappointing results at FIFA Days, some positive signs have been lit for the Vietnamese team. Duy Manh and his teammates had a short training trip to South Korea and won all 3 friendly matches against teams from this country. This was also an opportunity for Mr. Kim Sang-sik to shape the playing style and improve the ability to connect positions on the field.
It is worth mentioning that the closed training and friendly trip in Korea instead of attending FIFA Days in November also helped the Vietnamese team "hide their cards" better from their opponents.
While the opponent brings a young squad, the Vietnam team is also a mix of experienced and young players with a strong desire to compete. As for naturalized striker Nguyen Xuan Son, he can only play from the last match of the group stage on December 21.
In the previous 7 meetings, the Laos team lost all, even by a large margin, to the Vietnam team. Facing such an inferior opponent, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will certainly aim to get all 3 points as well as perform beautiful, methodical, tactical and clear-minded football.
As long as we don't get complacent, play to our full potential, and follow coach Kim Sang-sik's instructions, victory is not an impossible goal for the Vietnamese team.
If he can score more goals, that will be the result that helps Duy Manh and his teammates have more momentum entering the biggest tournament in Southeast Asia, while also attracting more fans to the journey of the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024.
The match between Vietnam and Laos takes place at 8:00 p.m. today (December 9).
Expected lineup for Laos vs Vietnam match
Laos team: Souvanhnasok, Sanglilay, Siphongphan, Hanthavong, Somsanid, Khochalem, Boukong, Thamkhamsavath, Souvanny, Waenpaseuth, Lueanthala.
Vietnam team: Nguyen Filip, Van Thanh, Viet Anh, Duy Manh, Van Vi, Hoang Duc, Quang Hai, Van Toan, Hai Long, Tien Linh, Tuan Hai.
