Coach Xuan Son warns Malaysia will face immense pressure at Thiên Trường Stadium

Former fitness coach of Nam Định Club Mashiedee Sulaiman warns that the Malaysian national team will face extreme pressure when playing away at Thiên Trường Stadium against Vietnam.

Former fitness coach of Nam Định Club, Mashiedee Sulaiman, a Malaysian, recently shared with Astro Arena about the intense atmosphere at Thiên Trường Stadium and cautioned that his national team will confront significant pressure as visitors on this pitch in the upcoming match on March 31. He believes the environment at Thiên Trường Stadium will pose a substantial challenge for any visiting team.

Mashiedee previously worked at Nam Định Club for many years, both before 2019 and again from 2023 onward, where he directly trained naturalized forward Nguyễn Xuân Son and newcomer Đỗ Hoàng Hên. Consequently, he thoroughly understands the capabilities and versatile playing style of Vietnamese players, as well as the mental strength they possess.

"The atmosphere at Thiên Trường Stadium is exceptional. The fans there are extremely passionate and close to the players, but for visiting teams, they always generate immense pressure. The fervor of Vietnamese fans at Thiên Trường Stadium somewhat resembles that at Kelantan Club's stadium (Malaysia) in the past, always blazing with momentum through the strongest cheers for the home team and consistently imposing tremendous pressure on the visitors," Mashiedee shared.

Thiên Trường Stadium, with a capacity of 30,000 seats and meeting Asian standards after renovation, not only hosts AFC Champions League Two or Southeast Asian C1 Cup matches but also will stage the 'clash' between Vietnam and Malaysia in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Malaysian media in recent days has particularly focused on this venue due to the heat from the stands.

"Completely different from previous encounters between the Malaysian national team and Vietnam at Mỹ Đình Stadium in Hanoi, the upcoming rematch at Thiên Trường Stadium promises to be equally intense. Certainly, tens of thousands of Vietnamese fans will fill the stadium to support and boost the home team's strength," Mashiedee stated.

He further emphasized: "This is certain, the Malaysian national team will face enormous pressure at Thiên Trường Stadium from all stands. But that's not all; it also extends onto the pitch. I have worked with Rafaelson (now Nguyễn Xuân Son, after naturalizing for Vietnam) and Hendrio (Đỗ Hoàng Hên), both are exceptionally skilled players. Having them has significantly enhanced Vietnam's team strength. Additionally, Vietnam's greatest strength remains their increasingly versatile play under coach Kim Sang-sik, thanks to long-term cohesion among domestic players, and their mental strength is always at its peak. The Malaysian team hopes for a positive result, but in my view, this is a major challenge for them at Thiên Trường Stadium."

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