VietNamNet Bridge – Coach Nguyen Huu Thang has shortlisted 25 players who will fly with him to Myanmar on November 15 for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup.

Twenty-five players will travel to Myanmar for the AFF Cup on November 15. — Photo ole.vn

Thang, who has been the national coach of Viet Nam for eight months, will have three goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and five strikers.

Five players were ousted from his list.

“It was a really difficult decision as spots are limited. I hope they will try harder for other upcoming tournaments. The door to the national team is always open for talented players,” Thang said.

One day before the opening of the biannual event, two more names will be removed from the list, as according to the rules, only 23 players can be registered officially.

Thang said the extra players were due to his cautious nature. He wanted to have substitutes until the last seconds in case someone got injured during preparation ahead of the championship.

Viet Nam will play their first match in Group B against co-host Myanmar on November 20.

They have prepared well for the last three months and experts said the players are in their best form ever.

Coach Le Thuy Hai was optimistic of Viet Nam’s chances to enter the final match.

“We had good results in the friendly matches, losing none of the seven games. Our playing style is good. Players are trying hard and are determined. They have made local supporters believe in them. The only thing is that the defence should be more reliable. I bet they can at least earn a berth in the final,” the veteran coach said.

Football expert Vu Manh Hai shared Hai’s opinion.

Hai said Viet Nam had prepared well for the event, with an impressive result in the friendly series.

However, he said there were some shortcomings in the defence.

“We can see a clear playing style and tactics of the team under coach Nguyen Huu Thang, which is better than when the team was playing under the earlier coach.

“Thang prefers players who can manage the ball fluently and rapidly in a small room. He has also created a good combination of veteran players, new faces and those competing in local and foreign leagues, creating a fresh look for the whole team,” Hai said.

“There have been several tests for the players during matches, which have brought about good results. They all are in good form leading to optimism about the result.

“However, the defenders are still a problem. They have not won the people’s trust. I hope Thang will address this problem so these mistakes can be limited.”

Another expert Nguyen Van Vinh said Thang has built a stable base for the team, therefore he could easily ‘repair’ problems caused during tournaments.

“The current team have a combination of experienced players and youthful members with power. And more important, they have a playing style which is suitable with Vietnamese physique. All the players are showing great spirit and are excited to begin playing. I think with such elements things will be okay, although anything can happen in the last minutes,” Vinh said.

However there are also concerns.

“There were some good matches for Viet Nam because their rivals also played an attacking game with tit-for-tat style. Our team faced major problems if they intentionally played a defence and counter-attack game. The match against Indonesia on November 8 was a good example of how our players found it hard to bring the ball to the other side of the field (although they scored two goals),” Doan Minh Xuong, a football commentator and analyst, said.

“It is for sure there will be teams who will prefer counter-attack. If Viet Nam cannot adjust with their style, it will be difficult for them to go further,” Xuong said, adding that the forwards were not sharp enough as they wasted a lot of opportunities.

Coach Trieu Quang Ha also expressed his concern about the flexibility of the team.

“Every coach will prepare a plan B, which will be used when there is a problem with plan A. However, I can see there is a gap between Thang’s first team and his team with substitutes. The first team combine fluently, but if there are several changes the squad will lose its power,” Ha, a former national defender, said.

“In developed countries, players can easily adjust according to the situation, but Vietnamese have not been able to,” he added.

Defending champions Thailand play Indonesia in the opening game of the AFF Suzuki Cup of Group A in the Philippines. Later in the day, the Philippines are pitted against Singapore.

The following day, the Group B matches kick off in Yangon, with 2010 champions Malaysia facing Cambodia before Myanmar battle it out against Viet Nam.

The AFF Suzuki Cup group stages will be played from November 19 to 26 in Myanmar and the Philippines, followed by the semi-finals and the final from December 3 to 17, which will be contested on a home and away basis.

Myanmar and the Philippines are newcomers to hosting the group stages. The Thuwanna Stadium in Yangon and the Philippine Sports Stadium will be staging their first games in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016. Both venues have previously held international matches.

Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw and the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the heart of Manila, which has played host to AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final matches in 2012 and 2014, will each host one simultaneous match in the group stages. 

VNS