KUALA LUMPUR: It is not impossible to beat Vietnam and clinch the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 but it is also a tall order for Harimau Malaya.
The desire to end the 10-year drought for the title and a record 14-game unbeaten run in the past two years are two key elements motivating the squad under Park Hang-Seo and the national squad should watch out for the hungry Vietnamese team.
The last time Vietnam lost was in an international match on Dec 3 2016 when they succumbed 1-2 to Indonesia and after that the Golden Dragons chalked up seven wins including beating Malaysia 2-0 recently followed by seven draws before that.
The AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 also saw Vietnam playing well with a strong defence as they had only conceded two goals in six matches before advancing to the final.
Nonetheless, Harimau Malaya under coach Tan Cheng Hoe have proven all pundits wrong when they eliminated defending champions Thailand in the semi-finals.
If Vietnam’s forte is in defence, Harimau Malaya have proven themselves to be capable of cracking the most robust wall for goals in this championship.
The attacking duo of Mohamad Zaquan Adha Abd Radzak-Norshahrul Idlan Talaha proved aged is no setback for them to prowl into through the toughest defence in every match in this campaign.
Mohamad Zaquan, 31, scored three goals while Norshahrul, 32, five and the lethal impact of the two strikers is beefed with two equally sharp wingers namely 2018 Most Valuable Player award winner Muhammad Safawi Rasid and naturalised player Mohamadou Sumareh.
Apart from that, Harimau Malaya are also ably supported by a strong defence line headed by Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT)’s Mohamad Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak.
However, match statistics cannot be ignored as the first leg final approaches at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, today.
The statistics on the encounters between the two teams in 10 years favoured Vietnam with seven victories, two losses and one draw.
In the attack department, Vietnam recorded 0.72 per cent goal per match and collected 12 goals while the national squad has only 0.54 per cent for each match with nine goals. In this regard, Vietnam have three attacking stalwarts who should be closely marked such as Quang Hai Nguyen, Cong Phuong Nguyen and Anh Duc Nguyen who have each scored three goals in this competition.
With all at stake today, Cheng Hoe is expected to map out a strategy to gain an advantage before Malaysian fans prior to playing in the dragon lair in the second leg. – AFP
