Vietnam - Philippines: Calculation for the semi-finals
*Vietnam - Philippines: 8pm Tuesday 22/8, on MetaSports.
Vietnam beat Laos 4-1 in the opening match, while this opponent drew the Philippines 2-2, so it has a great advantage in the race in Group C. Because the group has only three teams, similar to Group B, Mr. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan only needs to not lose to the Philippines in the last round to continue as the top of the group.
The situation of other groups also put Vietnam in a comfortable position. In the case of losing to the Philippines with a difference of no more than three goals, the team still continues as the second best in the group. This is the case that Indonesia is most worried about because they are holding this spot when they only have three points in Group B, the goal difference is 0.
Vietnam even has the right to calculate and choose an opponent. If group C wins, teachers and coaches Hoang Anh Tuan will meet the best of Group B is Malaysia, and if second group, the team that will face first place in Group A is Thailand.
Before the tournament, coach Hoang Anh Tuan said that he and his students have an obligation to protect the image of the defending champion. Therefore, striving for the top of the table is the task. This also helps the team have a more comfortable opponent in the semi-finals. Currently, Thailand is still a force and has the home field advantage. Through three matches, they are showing form with nine absolute points against Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia, scoring eight goals, not conceding a single time.
Along with the goal of conquering the top of the table, coach Hoang Anh Tuan's task is also to gradually improve the gameplay, serving the goal of reaching the final match. After the victory over Laos, the Khanh Hoa military leader said he was not satisfied when the players could not control the ball, so they could not organize the attack as desired. He hopes this needs to be improved in the match against the Philippines.
In the past two days, the team mainly met and learned from experience, but had little time to edit on the training ground. However, if you keep playing properly, experienced players like Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Van Truong or strikers Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Quoc Viet ... can "unlock" the Philippine defense. Through the opening match against Laos, the opponent showed that they were not too strong, taking the lead twice but could not keep the victory. The Philippines today also lost the service of striker Jaime Rosquillo due to receiving a red card.
