Singapore will find it difficult to stop the Vietnamese team

The hard-fought encounters between Singapore and Cambodia as well as Timor Leste gave Coach Kim Sang Sik a deeper understanding of the adversary. While Singapore has some advantages, it also exposes the clear limitations of a side currently sitting at 148th in the FIFA rankings.

In terms of FIFA ranking, Singapore trails Vietnam by 49 places. Over the years, Singaporean football has not drawn as much attention as it once did. The team from the Lion City is behind Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and its current strength is considered on par with Myanmar, a team that recently lost to Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad with an aggregate score of 0-9 over their two most recent meetings.

At present, Singapore still relies on its veterans. One of the most dangerous threats is veteran striker Shawal Anuar. The Lion City player opened the scoring in the 2-1 victory over Cambodia. The 35-year-old knows how to position himself and delivers very decisive finishes. He is the kind of striker who can make a difference in a single moment, and Vietnam’s defense must not be complacent.

In midfield, playmaker Nakamura helps the island nation maintain a fairly stable game in many phases. Coach Gavin Lee has high expectations for the Japanese-born midfielder, who works very well in tandem with Anuar up front. Nakamura, along with teammates Syahin and Shahiran, forms a central midfield trio tasked with breaking up play and distributing the ball. It is possible that when facing Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium, Singapore will continue using a 4-4-1-1 formation to focus on ball control.

Another notable name for Singapore is winger Song Ui Young. The naturalized South Korean player is still rated for his speed and experience. However, at the age of 33, he can no longer sustain his intensity for the full 90 minutes. That explains why Coach Gavin Lee only used Song Ui Young for one half in the win over Cambodia, in order to preserve his stamina for the long campaign.

The case of striker Ilhan Fandi is an option that Coach Gavin Lee uses to replace Anuar. On the opening day, the youngest son of legend Fandi Ahmad came on and immediately scored the decisive goal in stoppage time on Cambodian soil, bringing a valuable victory for Singapore. Ilhan possesses ideal height, strong aerial ability, and very composed finishing.

The Fandi family is a very familiar name to Vietnamese football fans. Father Fandi Ahmad is the greatest legend in Singapore football history, with 55 goals in 101 international appearances, having played in Europe and later becoming a coach.

The eldest son Irfan Fandi is currently a center-back and captain of the Singapore team. Ikhsan Fandi is the most famous scorer in the family but is absent from the ASEAN Cup because his club did not release him. Therefore, the goal-scoring responsibility now falls on Ilhan and his brother Irfan Fandi. In the opening match, Irfan played impressively as a center-back and received the highest rating.

However, looking at the overall picture, Singapore has not yet demonstrated enough strength to surprise Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad. The left flank of Coach Gavin Lee, guarded by two players both named Stewart, is quite clumsy. This duo is not agile enough to push forward, and this area could be strongly exploited by the Vietnamese team with the mobility of Dinh Bac, Hoang Hen, Hai Long, and others.

Even Coach Gavin Lee himself was very clear-headed when he refused to compare Singapore with Vietnam’s 7-0 victory over Timor Leste. He admitted that the quality of the Vietnamese squad is superior and said that the scoreline did not fully reflect the difficulties that Timor Leste created for the defending champions. That is both a compliment to Vietnam and a sign that Singapore understands the gap between the two teams very well.

Another disadvantage for the island nation is the fixture schedule. While the Vietnamese team had a full round off to recover their fitness and prepare thoroughly, Singapore had to play continuously against Cambodia and Timor Leste, and then immediately travel to Hanoi. The intense schedule will certainly take a significant toll on the physical condition of key players, especially the older ones.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team is in a state of high excitement. Their attack, featuring Dinh Bac, Hoang Hen, Xuan Son, and Quang Hai, just scored 7 goals on the opening day. Singapore will undoubtedly be a more quality test than Timor Leste. But to stop a Vietnam team that is in top form, boasts superior squad depth, and is eager to affirm its status as the defending champion, that alone is still not enough.