Singapore-Vietnam preview

The Vietnamese national team will get their Southeast Asian championship/AFF championship off with a clash against co-host Singapore. As hosts, Singapore have certain advantages but Vietnamese team are confident after two victories over the Lions in the past two years.

Three years ago, Vietnam exited the group stage of the 2004 Southeast Asian championship, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, despite being considered one of possible favourites. Hosts Vietnam drew 1-1 with Singapore in the opening game and lost 3-0 to Indonesia and had to watch Singapore and Indonesia play in the semi-finals and the final of the tournament.  

Therefore, the Vietnamese side will start their 2007 championship with great determination to leave behind the bad memory of Vietnamese football in 2004. Earlier, Alfred Riedl, who is now in his third time as national coach of Vietnam, said he wanted his men win the group with three victories.

However, he was cautious when saying about the opening game with the hosts. He said one day prior the game: S’It should be an equal game tomorrow. ’Singapore is a strong team, as we know they are winners of the last tournament, they have physical strength and they have tall players, which we do not have. So it will be tough for us.⬝

Mr Riedl is facing some difficulties as his team have been hit by injuries. Midfielder Phan Van Tai Em has to watch AFF championship games on television and a new man in the forward line, Nguyen Anh Duc, who produced a good form during invitational tournaments, will miss the group stage as he is yet to recover a thigh injury.

Top Vietnamese striker Le Cong Vinh had to race with time to recover a knee injury to be fit in the opening with Singapore and Mr Riedl earlier said: SIf Vinh is not 100% fit, he will not play.⬝

However, the 21-year-old striker is reported to fit for the match against the Lions. This is a good news for the Vietnamese side even though the striker may not produce his top form. Also, the return of veteran left midfielder Thach Bao Khanh, who opened the scoring the corresponding fixture of the 2004 edition and centreback Nguyen Huy Hoang, after the King”s Cup, may strengthen the Vietnamese side.

The Vietnamese side will enter the game with confidence as they beat Singapore 3-2 in an enthralling score chase game at the King”s Cup on the year-end day of 2006 at the King”s Cup. Also, at the 23rd SEA Games in the Phippines in 2005, Vietnam beat Singapore 2-1.

Singapore”s coach Radojko Avramovic, who led Singapore two second title three years ago after a 5-2 aggregate victory over Indonesia, did not want to read too much into that defeat. He said: SWe were unable to play our best team there in Thailand and in the game against Vietnam, we lost but the game could have gone either way as we missed two or three chances when the score was 2-2. It was a good match that we could have won but tomorrow is a new game. We are the defending champions and we have an obligation to our supporters because we are playing at home to show that we are really champions.⬝

With goalkeeper Lionel Lewis, and strikers Indra Sahdan and Noh Alam Shah likely to be ready to play after recovering injuries, the Serb coach seems to have his best team for the competition.

Also, the wet monsoon weather that has hit Singapore in recent days could work in the home side’s favour. SI think that we may have the advantage in this case because I think our players are more used to playing in such wet conditions in the league. I think that they can adapt better to it than Vietnam can,⬝ Mr Avramovic said.

However, the Serb coach said he hoped to see a good football games in good climatic conditions.

Playing in unfavourable conditions may be tough for Vietnamese players, who play a direct shot passing game. However, coach assistant Mai Duc Chung said unfavourable conditions would be a problem for the hosts also. SThe Vietnamese team will focus on each game but not the climatic conditions with a target of gaining at least four out of possible six points,⬝ Mr Chung said.

Singapore Vietnam Head-to-head at AFF championships

* 1998 Tiger Cup (Vietnam):

Hanoi, August 28, 1998: Vietnam 0-0 Singapore

Hanoi, September 5, 1998: Vietnam 0-1 Singapore (Sasi Kumar 71″)

* 2000 Tiger Cup (Thailand):

November 11, 2000 Vietnam 1-0 Singapore (Le Huynh Duc 62″)

* 2004 Tiger Cup (Vietnam and Malaysia):

Ho Chi Minh City, December 7, 2004: Vietnam 1-1 Singapore (Thach Bao Khanh 51″; Indra Sahdan Daud 70″)

Nhan dan