Singapore fell to a 2-0 defeat against Vietnam in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semifinals, with late goals by Tien Linh from the penalty spot and Nguyen Xuan Son sealing the win for the visitors. Despite the loss, Coach Tsutomu Ogura remains hopeful about his team’s chances in the return leg.
After the match, Coach Ogura pointed to a lack of composure and experience as the primary reasons for Singapore’s defeat:
“My players lacked the experience needed to prevent the second goal. I told them during halftime that if we could maintain a goalless draw until the end, we would have more confidence going into the second leg. However, the prolonged match duration, with nearly 15 minutes of stoppage time, left our players fatigued and unfocused.”
The coach described the match as dramatic, comparing it to “a movie” with incidents such as VAR interventions, a disallowed goal, and the late penalty decision. He acknowledged that both teams had opportunities but commended Vietnam for capitalizing on theirs to secure victory.
Despite the setback, Ogura expressed optimism about Singapore’s chances:
“The most important thing now is for the players to recover and regain their fitness in time for the second leg. The semifinal is not over, and we still have a genuine chance to reach the final.”
The second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semifinal between Singapore and Vietnam is set to take place at 8:00 PM on December 29 at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho. Singapore will need to overcome the two-goal deficit to keep their championship aspirations alive.
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