Singapore has been meticulously preparing for this crucial match, with special attention paid to Xuan Son following his stellar “10/10” performance against Myanmar in the group stage.
Singaporean media outlets have highlighted the threat posed by Xuan Son, especially given his prior experience playing on the artificial turf of Jalan Besar Stadium, the venue for the upcoming match. Xuan Son previously competed on this surface with Nam Dinh FC against Tampines Rovers in the AFC Champions League Two group stage.
In that encounter, Nam Dinh faced early difficulties, conceding two quick goals. However, Xuan Son scored a crucial goal to reduce the deficit, ultimately helping his team secure a 3-3 draw away from home.
Gavin Lee, the head coach of Tampines Rovers at the time and currently a member of Singapore’s coaching staff, has emphasized Xuan Son’s abilities. With prior experience facing the Vietnamese forward, Lee revealed that Singapore has specific strategies in place to contain him.
“We’ve dealt with him before when I was with Tampines Rovers,” Lee said. “Now, our task is to provide the national team players with the same level of understanding and prepare them as best as we can.”
He outlined two key approaches to managing Xuan Son: “First, the players need to be fully aware of how to handle him effectively. Second, we must cut off the supply lines feeding him the ball.”
The highly anticipated clash between Vietnam and Singapore will take place at 8:00 PM on December 26.
Leave a Reply