In the first leg of the semi-final, Singapore lost 0-2 to Vietnam at home. To advance, the Lions must beat Vietnam by 3 goals or more. If they win by 2 goals, the match will go into extra time. If after extra time, the results of the 2 matches are equal, the 2 teams will take a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Head to head record
Vietnam had been unbeaten against Singapore for… 26 years until the return match in Phu Tho. The last time Singapore beat Vietnam was when they beat their opponents 1-0 in the final of the 1998 Tiger Cup (the predecessor of the ASEAN Cup). Since that milestone, Singapore has met Vietnam 15 times, losing 7 and drawing 8.
The last time the Singapore team came to Vietnam to play against the host team was at the end of 2022. In the friendly match at Thong Nhat Stadium at that time, Van Quyet, Thanh Nhan, Ho Tan Tai and Khuat Van Khang scored to help the home team beat their opponent 4-0.
Home power
In the number 1 regional playground, the Vietnamese team has very impressive statistics when playing at home. The team has been unbeaten in 11 consecutive matches at the ASEAN Cup when playing at its home ground since 2016. The Vietnamese team has won 9 of these matches, drawing 2.
The last time Vietnam lost at home in the region's top tournament was a 2-4 defeat to Malaysia in the second leg of the 2014 ASEAN Cup semi-finals. At Viet Tri Stadium, Vietnam won both matches in this year's ASEAN Cup, beating Indonesia 1-0 and Myanmar 5-0.
Meanwhile, Singapore's away form has been pretty poor. In their last four away games, they have only won one against the weak Timor-Leste team, lost two against Thailand and China, and drawn one against Malaysia.
Depth of Vietnam team squad
Coach Kim Sang-sik has rotated his squad thoroughly over the past five matches at the ASEAN Cup. He has used 25 of the 26 registered players, except for goalkeeper number 3 Trung Kien. Among them, midfielder Hoang Duc is the Vietnamese player who has played the most minutes with 389 minutes, including four starting matches and one substitute match.
Despite constant changes in the lineup, the Vietnamese team still showed efficiency when scoring 13 goals, conceding only 2 goals – the least in the tournament. Do Duy Manh and his teammates also kept a clean sheet in 3/5 matches – the best in the tournament.
Overall strength and endurance of the Vietnamese team
Vietnam team is strong in both attack and defense in this year’s ASEAN Cup. In attack, the team scored 13 goals in 5 matches, had 91 shots, 33 on target, and had an average ball possession rate of 59%/match – the highest in the tournament.
The Singapore team only had 54 shots, 19 on target, with an average ball possession rate of 54%. Mr. Ogura's team only scored 7 goals, and had 2 matches without scoring any goals. In defense, the Vietnam team made 65 tackles, successfully made 40, kept a clean sheet in 3/5 matches, and only conceded 2 goals.
In particular, the Vietnamese team showed persistence in attack. Of the 13 goals scored, the team scored 5 goals from the 90th minute onwards. The clearest evidence was the first leg of the semi-final, when Tien Linh and Nguyen Xuan Son scored 2 goals in the 90+11 and 90+14 minutes.
Nguyen Xuan Son factor
This naturalized striker was a nightmare for central defenders Lionel Tan and Safuwal Baharudin in the first leg. Nguyen Xuan Son's physique, stamina and good ball handling skills made it very difficult for Singapore defenders to deal with.
In the first leg, he had a hand in both goals of the Vietnamese team, besides a great goal that was denied by VAR. With his form and excitement, Xuan Son promises to score for the Vietnamese team in the 3rd consecutive match. In the most recent match at Viet Tri Stadium, this striker scored 2 goals, had 2 assists to help the Vietnamese team beat Myanmar 5-0.
The second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final between Vietnam and Singapore will take place at 8:00 p.m. on December 29 at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho.
