Before the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final against Malaysia, Nguyen Xuan Son said that the Vietnamese team has prepared carefully and is confidently heading towards the confrontation at Kuala Lumpur stadium.
I don't want to prove anything. I don't need to prove anything. I just want to do my job well in a big match," Xuan Son shared.
According to the Vietnamese national team striker, the most important goal is to win. He assesses that the preparation in recent days will be a key factor for the whole team to implement the set plan well.
The most important thing tomorrow is to do really well to win for Vietnam. I think the most important thing is still preparation. The team has been training for this match and we will try our best," Xuan Son said.
Xuan Son does not like the court surface in Kuala Lumpur
One of the issues that Xuan Son mentioned before the match was the pitch conditions in Kuala Lumpur. The first leg of the semi-final took place on ginger leaf grass, the type of pitch that this striker once had difficulty playing on.
Honestly, I don't like this grass. For me, it's like a hard and cold grass. I have played on such a surface many times in Vietnam and have had difficulty playing in such conditions," Xuan Son said.
However, the Vietnamese national team striker affirmed that the field conditions do not affect the concentration of the whole team.
But tomorrow we will play, there is no problem. I hope we will play better and achieve results," Xuan Son said.
Assessing Malaysia, Xuan Son said that this is a quality opponent and the semi-final will bring great challenges for the Vietnamese team.
Tomorrow, of course, I look forward to playing in big matches like this. Facing Malaysia is always special. They have a good squad and you can expect a lot from the opponent tomorrow," Xuan Son assessed.
Focus on the plan of the Vietnamese team
Xuan Son said that the Vietnamese team is confident after the preparation process. Personally, he wants to maximize his ability, while complying with the tactics of the coaching staff.
We came here to play well. The team has confidence and we also have good players. I think head coach Kim Sang Sik, the coaching staff and the whole team have prepared very well for tomorrow. I just want to do my best. The whole team is also very excited about the semi-finals. This is a big match and we hope to play well and win tomorrow," Xuan Son shared.
When asked about Malaysian players who could create a threat, Xuan Son said that the opponent's squad had many changes compared to the previous time the two teams met. After watching and analyzing the video, he highly appreciated the Malaysian players in the midfield area and the two corridors.
I think this time's squad is very different from the previous match with Vietnam. They have good players. The midfield as well as the wingers, I watched the video and analyzed, they are good players," Xuan Son said.
However, the Vietnamese national team striker does not want to focus too much on the opponent. According to him, the important thing is that the whole team must prepare well, train seriously and implement the plan correctly.
We don't think too much about Malaysia. If we prepare well, train well and follow the plan, I think everything will be fine," Xuan Son affirmed.
The ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final first leg between Malaysia and Vietnam takes place at 8:00 p.m. on August 16 (Vietnam time) at Kuala Lumpur Stadium.
