The Vietnamese football team is ready to turn the tables on the Thai one. (Photo: SGGP)
To be fair, Thailand played well in the first leg. They had the necessary sanity and psychological comfort and made good use of opportunities to score. Meanwhile, Vietnam lost the first goal too soon, which somewhat affected their psyche. The following efforts were commendable when the Thai net was shaken by Quang Hai's shots two times. In that context, if Vietnam got an equalizer, even just one goal, it would have been enough for the team to keep the fire for the second leg. Unfortunately, the referee did not give the Vietnamese players that opportunity.
Being led by two goals in the first leg by a tough opponent, the challenge is doubled for the Vietnamese team. The away goal rule does not apply, but Vietnam needs to win by a minimum score gap of two goals to advance to the final, which is not easy at all, especially when all the advantages are in the hands of Thailand. The Thai team is well-balanced and has full force. More importantly, it will operate the wait-and-see strategy, waiting for the incautiousness from the Vietnamese defense to score goals. Thailand is expected to operate solid defensive and counter-attacking playing styles in the first half. They will try not to lose first, at least in the first 45 minutes.
Being led by two goals in the first leg by a tough opponent, the challenge is doubled for the Vietnamese team. The away goal rule does not apply, but Vietnam needs to win by a minimum score gap of two goals to advance to the final, which is not easy at all, especially when all the advantages are in the hands of Thailand. The Thai team is well-balanced and has full force. More importantly, it will operate the wait-and-see strategy, waiting for the incautiousness from the Vietnamese defense to score goals. Thailand is expected to operate solid defensive and counter-attacking playing styles in the first half. They will try not to lose first, at least in the first 45 minutes.
Some adjustments are expected to be made in the attack. (Photo: SGGP)
For the Vietnamese team, the most important thing right now is measures to get things off their chest. In the first leg, some players were rather hot-tempered. Thailand will likely continue to do everything to provoke Vietnamese players. Therefore, if they cannot control their temper, they will get cards and, more importantly, lose the game position, being drawn into the opponent's provocation. The return of Tien Dung and Dinh Trong is crucial in this match when Duy Manh can hardly join the game because of injury. On the other hand, Hong Duy is a skillful left-winger who can participate well in the attack, but he is not good at supporting the defense like Van Hau. It is what Thailand has researched and exploited well in the first leg.
Vietnamese players need to have cool heads in the upcoming match. (Photo: SGGP)
Some adjustments in the starting lineup are expected to be made in the second leg. Besides changes in the defense, the possibility that Tien Linh will play from the beginning. The midfield will also be adjusted, but not necessarily in favor of attacking to find an early goal. For a cautious person like Mr. Park, he will prefer safety above all because Vietnam is facing Thailand - the football team has a very strong midfield. In addition, this match requires Vietnamese players to operate at full capacity to score goals and avoid conceding as much as possible. Regardless of the result, Vietnam needs to close the match with great performance, worthy of being the leading team in the region during the past three years. The second leg of the semi-finals between Vietnam and Thailand will be aired on VTV6 at 7.30 p.m. tonight.
