Football 

Nguyễn Tiến Linh (centre) and teammates at their training on March 24. Linh will take charge of Việt Nam's front line against Laos in their 2027 Asian Cup qualification match on March 25. Photos of VFF

BÌNH DƯƠNG — Vietnamese striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh is hoping to score, while his coach Kim Sang-sik expects a big win over Laos in their first match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers' third round on March 25 in Bình Dương Province.

Việt Nam and Laos are in Group F with Nepal and Malaysia. The host side are aiming for the group's top spot to qualify for the finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

“We have been preparing carefully for the match in both term of physique and mentality," said Linh at a press conference on March 24.

"The match will not be easy, but we will try our best for a decisive win and make our supporters happy."

Việt Nam stands to do well, as in the national team's last 14 matches, the ASEAN Cup champion were unbeatable, recording 13 wins and one draw. 

In the latest game, Việt Nam won 4-1 in the 2024 ASEAN Cup qualification match, with Linh scoring one goal.

In FIFA's ranking, there is a big gap between the two sides. Việt Nam are No. 114 while Laos sit at No. 186.

As the local league's No. 1 scorer this season with 10 goals to date, Linh, who just returned to the field after a rest for a knee injury, netted Việt Nam a goal in the 2-1 friendly win over Cambodia on March 19.

"I have totally recovered and am in the best physical condition. For this game, our recent ASEAN Cup win has made us more confident. Personally, playing on my [Becamex Bình Dương] club's field is also my motivation. It is the stadium that I have been playing in for my whole career," said Linh.

"My parents rarely come to watch me playing on the field, but they will tomorrow. Their support will encourage me and make me play with more responsibility and contribute better to the national team." 

Coach Kim Sang-sik asks his players to score many goals against Laos.

Coach Kim has put his trust in Linh and believes that he will successfully replace injured striker Nguyễn Xuân Sơn on the front line. The coach also said he wants a big win to have a goal differential advantage against other rivals in the group.

"The first match of this last qualification round will play an important role in Việt Nam's campaign," said Kim.

"We will play on home ground and will be prepared. I hope that Việt Nam score as many goals as possible and make it a good game for our fans." 

As for the ASEAN Cup's top scorer Sơn, the South Korean coach said he regrets that the striker is not able to play, but that he is recovering well. Linh will take his place and he will do good job, Kim said.

While Kim expressed respect for Laos' naturalised players Klein, Roman Angot and Victor Ngovinassack, he did not seem too concerned about them, asking his players to focus and score goals in the first half. 

Laos coach Ha Hyeok Jun from South Korea.

Laos coach Ha Hyeok Jun, also from South Korea, understood the unbalanced level of the two teams, and said he was impressed by Linh after weeks of watching him play.

“Tiến Linh is one of my favourite players on Việt Nam's team. I came to Bình Dương a month ago to check the facility and field conditions, and watched him as well. He is one of the best Vietnamese players currently,” said Ha.

To prepare for the game, Laos held a friendly match with lower-ranked Sri Lanka, and lost 1-2.

“I was shocked, although the result was not important. The match was to test my team so that I would have a good plan for the match against Việt Nam,” Ha said.

“I want Laos stronger, with original players. I want to send the Lao players to compete abroad. It will help the Lao team to get better and develop well.

“The three naturalised players have not had enough time to work with the whole team. They trained for only two days for the Sri Lanka game. I can't evaluate them right away, because they need more time to integrate and adapt.

"My team are not too different from when we played in the ASEAN Cup. We had only about 10 days to prepare for the match with Việt Nam. However, we will definitely try our best so that the Vietnamese team will not have an easy victory."

The match will kick off at 7.30pm at the Gò Đậu Stadium, and will be broadcast live on VTV and FPT. - VNS