Conquering My Dinh
Both Vietnam and Singapore aim for a showdown with certain plus points. The away team is full of excitement after completing the necessary condition of the group stage, which is to win 6 points against Timor Leste and Cambodia. Therefore, coach Gavin Lee's team is determined to win at least 1 point right on Vietnam's field. That means that the ticket to the semi-finals will be even closer to the lion island nation team.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese national team has only played 1 match at the ASEAN Cup 2026, but the number of goals that the defending champion has scored is almost double compared to the goals that Singapore has scored in the past 2 matches. Singapore only defeated Timor Leste 2-0, while Dinh Bac, Xuan Son or Hoang Hen brought in up to 7 goals. Saying that to show the relative strength and attacking power are somewhat different between the two teams at the present time.
Besides the difference in expertise, the Vietnamese team also has 2 advantages. First, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have nearly 1 week to recover physical strength and prepare tactics and techniques. This is also the period when the coaching staff can save more for Singapore and partly Indonesia. In addition, the "Golden Star Warriors" are playing at home with the cheers of a large audience. Not having to move like Singapore, nor having to play with constant density in the past time, Quang Hai and his teammates are naturally confident towards a victory.
For Mr. Kim Sang-sik personally, this is also an opportunity for him to overcome a small obsession. My Dinh Stadium was not a lucky stadium for this coach in the early stages of leading the Vietnamese national team. He started with a hard-fought victory over the Philippines, then suffered consecutive defeats against Thailand and Russia (friendly tournament). Meanwhile, when playing at other stadiums at home and abroad, the Korean coach has gone through 19 unbeaten matches.
When returning to My Dinh Stadium, coach Kim Sang-sik really wants to create a different mindset. This is not only a story of overcoming psychology to extend the unbeaten streak to 20 matches, but also the beginning of the journey to defend the Southeast Asian championship. There, My Dinh will be a "fortune" to support the Vietnamese team in home matches from the group stage to the semi-finals and finals.
Is there a strange strategy?
Before meeting Vietnam, the Singapore team scored 2 goals from heading against Timor Leste. Despite goals from Ilhan Fandi (1m84 tall) and Song Ui Jong (1m75 tall) - who do not possess superior physique, the Vietnam team also considered preventing opponents from exploiting high balls, especially in the penalty area of their home team.
In addition, Mr. Kim Sang-sik is considering the option of using many faces in the B squad. The reason is that right after the match with Singapore, the Vietnamese team had to move to Indonesia and only had 1 day to prepare for the match considered the "final" of Group A. Faced with that situation, Vietnam is likely to put all its strength into defeating Singapore soon, before bringing Hai Long, Nhat Minh, Van Do, Tuan Tai... onto the field early to save energy for key players.
This is completely appropriate when considering the balance of power between the two sides. The Singapore team, although having 2 victories against Timor Leste and Cambodia, revealed quite a few shortcomings. Their defense has not performed well in terms of high-level pressure and head-to-head situations. Meanwhile, Singapore's strikers have also not been able to reassure coach Gavin Lee because they missed many opportunities.
In the last 10 years in encounters, the Singapore team has never beaten Vietnam. This factor is considered a spiritual advantage for Quang Hai and his teammates to confidently win 3 points at home.
