In the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup semi-final at Jalan Besar Stadium, the Vietnamese team won 2-0 against Singapore. This score gives coach Kim Sang-sik and his team an advantage in the second leg.
But looking back at the whole match, the Vietnamese team did not have an easy victory. Our players have not been able to score in the first half of this year's tournament. The goals in the first leg of the semi-final were only scored in extra time.
So it's understandable why, in the press conference before the second leg, coach Kim Sang-sik said: "We are considered to have one foot in the final, but the score of 2-0 is still dangerous, nothing can be said in advance. The whole team will still try their best, especially when playing at home."
In the rematch in Viet Tri, we will have to face a Singapore team that has nothing to lose. As Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura said, they consider the two semi-final matches as two halves of a match. The first half took place at Jalan Besar Stadium, the second half will take place in Viet Tri.
That shows that Singapore is not discouraged when playing away against Vietnam. They will have to play offensively to make up for the 2-goal gap. To qualify, Singapore needs to score 3 goals and not concede. That is not an easy task.
The away goals rule will not apply in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. The team that scores the highest total number of goals after two matches will win the match. If the match is tied after two matches, the two teams will play extra time. If the winner cannot be determined, the two teams will play penalty kicks.
With a 2-goal lead, Vietnam will not choose to approach the match with an aggressive attack. Meanwhile, Singapore will be determined to score early. It is very likely that this will be a match where Vietnam will concede an early goal. The players will only rise in the second half to win the match.
Score prediction: Vietnam 2-1 Singapore (4-1 aggregate)
