SEA Games 2019 men’s football

Midfielder Thanh Son: "Vietnam U22s are determined to beat Singapore U22s”

Vietnam U22s are determined to beat Singapore U22s to get closer to the semi-finals of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games men’s football in the Philippines, midfielder Nguyen Thanh Son has said.

Vietnamese players who were on the field against Indonesia U22s on Sunday only had light training yesterday to relax and recover their form. (Photo: Duc Dong)
Vietnamese players who were on the field against Indonesia U22s on Sunday only had light training yesterday to relax and recover their form. (Photo: Duc Dong)

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Under the news that Typhoon Kammuri has hit Manila and may affect the fourth matchday of Group B between Vietnam and Singapore, Son confirmed that the whole team are always ready for any situation, regardless of the weather.

After a stunning 2-1 comeback win against Indonesia on Sunday to retain their top spot in Group B, Vietnam, with a full nine points, are in high spirits for their next game this evening against the Singaporean rivals, who ranked fifth in the six-team group with only one point after three matches.

Speaking to the media ahead of his afternoon training session on December 2, midfielder Thanh Son shared: “We have also received information about the storm, but that does not affect the morale of the team. We have to fight with all our stamina regardless of the weather. Of course, the rain also affects our playing style. However, I think it is no problem. The whole team is always ready to head towards to the match with Singapore. We are in good spirits after the victory over Indonesia and we are determined to beat Singapore to get closer to the semi-finals.”

When was asked about Singapore U22s, Son said: “Singapore's greatest strength is their spirit. They also play good football, with striker No. 9 [Fandi Ahmad Ikhsan] being the most dangerous. However, the whole team will try to show our best.”

Midfielder Tran Thanh Son during an interview before Vietnam U22s’ training camp on December 2, 2019. (Photo: Duc Dong)

Regarding Storm Kammuri, Vietnam U22s’ Head Nguyen Si Hien said that the team currently has no information about the possibility of postponing the match. “We have prepared every plan to cope with bad situations. Although the team have not practiced and competed on the artificial grass surface in rainy conditions, coach Park Hang-seo has a plan for our players,” Hien said.

At the afternoon training session on Blue Pitch yesterday, Park divided the team into two groups, with those playing against Indonesia on December 1 just went for a walk, focusing on relaxing and recovering. Meanwhile, the remaining squad had heavier practice, mainly on tactical coordination.

Vietnamese players who were on the field against Indonesia U22s on Sunday only had light training yesterday to relax and recover their form. (Photo: NDO/Minh Phu)

The remaining group of players practiced with quite high intensity on Monday. (Photo: NDO/Minh Phu)

Midfielder Thanh Son: "Vietnam U22s are determined to beat Singapore U22s” ảnh 7

Coach Park Hang-seo wants all the players to be always ready for the next game. (Photo: NDO/Minh Phu)

Although currently sitting atop the group with nine points after three matches, Vietnam have not yet qualified for the semi-finals. With the top two teams in both Group A and B progressing, Vietnam must beat Singapore to avoid falling into a "do-or-die" clash with Thailand U22s in their last group game on December 5.

Currently, the whole team’s mentality is comfortable after the 2-1 victory over Indonesia. However, Park’s side cannot be subjective because their opponents for tonight are quite difficult to play, with good physical strength and high fighting spirit. Most likely, Vietnam will play aggressively from the beginning, aiming to score first. In order to prevent the rain from making the artificial turf surface slippery and stagnant, the coaching staff have instructed the players and prepared them well with the right shoes.

Current standings in Group B - men's football tournament at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

The match between Vietnam and Singapore will take place at 19:00 this evening at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. To ensure qualification for the semis, Vietnam need to get four points from the remaining two matches against Singapore and Thailand, respectively.