Vietnam seeks way to enter AFF semi-finals
After a
draw in the opening match, when they allowed Indonesia to come from
behind twice, Vietnam must beat Laos to maintain their chances of
qualifying for the last four.
On paper, Vietnam, the 2008 champions, are clear favourites over Laos. But Miura does not take anything for granted.
"We
got only one point in the opening game. Both Vietnam and Laos will try
to win the second match, so it is a very important game for both teams,"
he said.
The Japanese coach kept mum about the possibility of a new-look defence and a new goalkeeper.
It
remains uncertain whether star striker Le Cong Vinh, who shone with a
wonderful goal in the second half after coming on in place of young
striker Nguyen Hai Anh, will be included in the starting line-up.
Meanwhile,
Miura's counterpart David Booth acknowledged the gap between Laos and
other top teams in the region and was modest about his team's chances,
hoping for a positive display rather than a win.
"The first game
against the Philippines was very disappointing for us and we hope we can
put in a stronger performance against Vietnam. We know that it will be
very difficult but we are looking forward to it and will try to have a
good game," Booth said.
In the other match of the group,
Indonesia will also face the same task as Vietnam. They must beat the
Philippines in order to avoid an early exit.
Beating Laos 4-1 in
the first match was not enough to put the team on the same level, said
Philippines' coach Thomas Dooley, who has been working in Manila since
March.
"We are looking forward to the game tomorrow. We are
obviously facing one of the strongest teams in the tournament and we are
underdogs," the American coach said.
A win would send the
Philippines through to the semi-finals for a third time while a
full-point from the match would put Indonesia in a commanding position
to reach the last four.
"Thomas is a smart coach and he delivered
immediately. The chance is 50-50. We are looking forward to the match
and are prepared for it and hopefully it's a fair match," said Indonesia
coach Alfred Riedl.-VNA