After a convincing victory on the opening day, the Vietnamese team returned to their home ground to welcome Singapore with the goal of extending their winning streak. Meanwhile, Indonesia is also rated higher than Cambodia and aims for a second consecutive victory.
If they both complete the task, Vietnam and Indonesia are likely to soon create a gap with the rest of the group, and at the same time turn the direct confrontation between the two teams in the next match into an "early final" to determine the top spot in the group.
Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnamese team still maintains an organized playing style and the ability to control the game. Although the attack still misses opportunities at times, the defending champion shows stability in all three lines and always knows how to make a difference in important moments.
Before the tournament, coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that the goal of the Vietnamese team is to defend the championship, but emphasized that the whole team will focus on each match instead of thinking too far. The Korean coach also assessed that the ASEAN Cup is always a challenging tournament and only solidarity and discipline can help the team get closer to the goal.
In the opposite direction, Indonesia is showing great ambition under the leadership of coach John Herdman. The island nation team possesses a young, fast-paced force and many players playing abroad, creating significant competitiveness.
After the resounding victory over Cambodia in the opening match, Indonesia's spirit is high. However, coach John Herdman still maintains caution when saying that the team needs to focus on each opponent, and at the same time calls on his players to maintain stability instead of thinking about the great battle with the Vietnamese team early. He also highly appreciates the strength of the defending champion and considers this the top competitor in Group A.
With the current situation, the race to win two tickets to the semi-finals is leaning towards Vietnam and Indonesia. Singapore is expected to create difficulties for coach Kim Sang-sik's team, while Cambodia is also not an easy opponent for Indonesia. However, in terms of force quality, squad depth and playing experience, the top two candidates in Group A are still rated slightly higher.
If no surprises occur in the matches on July 31st, Vietnam and Indonesia will be very close to a ticket to the semi-finals. At that time, the direct confrontation between the two teams on August 3rd is likely to decide the top spot in Group A as well as the advantage in opponents in the knockout round.
