On the afternoon of December 25, midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc and coach Kim Sang-sik attended a press conference before the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final against the Singapore team. Here, Hoang Duc shared about the difficulties caused by the weather of the Vietnamese team in Singapore.
He said: "After arriving in Singapore, the Vietnamese team had two training sessions. The weather in Singapore is very good. Of course, the team also encountered some difficulties during these two training sessions, as the rain had a slight impact. However, the team is still in the process of preparing for tomorrow's match.
The team has had two meetings to analyze their opponents Singapore. They often play long balls or exploit midfield. The coaching staff has come up with countermeasures and defenses for those types of situations. The Singapore team also often plays from home, and sometimes makes mistakes. In tomorrow's match, the team will try to exploit those points."
Regarding striker Nguyen Xuan Son, Hoang Duc commented: "The whole team sees Xuan Son integrating quickly. He helps the whole team on the training field as well as in daily activities. In return, the other players also help him. The players often tease him and teach him Vietnamese words. We want to help him understand the Vietnamese language as well as the whole team."
Hoang Duc also expressed regret that not many Vietnamese fans had tickets to the stadium to watch the team face Singapore.
He said: "I just read the information on social media. Not many Vietnamese fans are allowed to enter the stadium. But I hope they will cheer for the Vietnamese team from afar. This is a source of motivation for the players to enter the stadium to play their best and win."
The first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final between Vietnam and Singapore will take place at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (December 26) at Jalan Besar Stadium.
