Vietnam team is not subjective against Singapore in the second leg match

In the press conference after Vietnam’s victory, coach Kim Sang-sik admitted that the players were not yet familiar with the weather and pitch in Singapore despite several days of preparation. Many situations of poor ball control, poor coordination and almost paying the price were proof of the difficulties the players encountered on the away field.

It was not until the substitutions in the second half that Mr. Kim and his students gradually regained control of the game. The two goals in the final minutes were a reward for their tireless efforts.

"We still say that artificial turf is difficult for both sides, but Singaporean players are still more familiar with it. The Vietnamese team had a group stage match against the Philippines on artificial turf, but it was not possible to get used to it in just one quick match. Therefore, many errors still appeared.

The physical strength of the Vietnamese players in this match was also not guaranteed. In the second half, I saw many of our players sweating, further proving that they were not used to the heat in the equatorial region. When the Singapore players started to speed up, we encountered many difficulties" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.

Responding to the decision to choose goalkeeper Dinh Trieu instead of Nguyen Filip, Mr. Kim said that Dinh Trieu is playing better with each match he plays. In particular, the Korean strategist praised the excellent save with 5 fingertips after the mistake of the defense. If it had not happened, the Vietnamese team might have lost.

"I think the turning point of the match came from Dinh Trieu's save and nothing else. If it weren't for that save, we might be talking about defeat now, not victory anymore.

Recently, Filip has shown signs of being fatter than before. The internal story of the team about how to choose a goalkeeper is only known to Mr. Kim and his team. However, after such saves, Dinh Trieu is completely worthy of being in the starting lineup of the Vietnam team" - Commentator Quang Huy commented.

When asked about preparations for the return match on Sunday at Viet Tri Stadium, coach Kim Sang-sik was extremely cautious. The Vietnamese team played with focus and effort until the last minute, but the current 2-0 score does not guarantee anything. In the return match, if they let down their guard, just 1-2 mistakes are made and the opponent takes advantage, Viet Tri Stadium could witness a sad match for the Vietnamese team.

"I agree with this absolute caution from Mr. Kim. In football, only when the referee blows the final whistle, everything is decided. If at Viet Tri Stadium this weekend, we lose by one goal, there will definitely be confusion. This year's tournament does not apply the away goals rule, so the 2-0 result in the first leg does not mean much.

I think Mr. Kim should make many changes for the second leg to ensure health and motivation. The players entering the field should not think that they have scored 2 goals in the first leg and then become careless, that is very dangerous.

Singaporean players have a very admirable level of tenacity. Their football may not be very special, but their coolness, or in other words, their bravery over the years, has helped them win many victories, even winning the Southeast Asian championship more times than Vietnam" - Commentator Quang Huy shared.