Vietnam 0 Singapore 0 – live commentary with Aleksandar Duric

N.B. To read the play-by-play commentary with Aleksandar Duric, please scroll down. It is after the match summary.

Hanoi, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 – Vietnam and Singapore played out a 0-0 draw in their first leg semi-final of the ASEAN Football Championship (AFF Suzuki Cup) this evening. It was a game that Singapore were lucky not to lose with Vietnam creating enough chances to have gone into the half-time break with at least a 2-0 lead.

For the first time, the Singapore team played Isa Halim and Mustafic Fahrudin in the starting lineup. Both defensive midfielders, it looked like Coach Raddy Avramovic was making sure that his slow central defensive pairing of Precious Emuejeraye and Baihakki Khaizan would be protected against the speedy Vietnamese.

The cautious approach proved justified as Vietnam created chance after chance in the first half for themselves, doing everything right except score. Vietnam continually exposed the gaps in the Singapore defence and in one instance had Singapore goalkeeper Lionel Lewis completely beaten except to see the shot cannon back off the post.

Lionel, who probably saw more of the ball than in the three previous games combined, was called upon to make a good save when Vietnam again breached the leaky Singapore defence. By the end of the first half, the capacity crowd of Vietnamese fans were wondering what their team had to do to score.

Captain Indra Sahdan started his second consecutive game upfront but created nothing of note either for his strike partner Agu Casmir or himself, his inability to hold up the ball to bring his teammates into play showing why he has lost his place in the starting lineup.

Noh Alam Shah came on for Indra in the second half and had a more telling contribution but his hamstring injury and lack of match fitness has limited him to mostly substitute appearances.

Agu Casmir also did nothing of note and showed that while he is a predator in the box, he is only one if a teammate is able to get the ball to him in the box in the first place.

Singapore lost John Wilkinson to a calf strain and the team missed his industry and accurate crossing and passing. With Isa Halim and Mustafic Fahrudin more concerned with defensive duties, the link up play with the forwards foundered.

Midfielder Muhd Ridhuan showed he is more speed than skill. Able to get into space with his speed, he was unable to deliver the final ball to any great effect for his teammates to work off.

Indra did not even have a shot the whole night and it was midfielder Shi Jiayi who had the only accurate shot on goal for Singapore in the entire match. Jiayi too did not have a good game, with some of crosses not meeting his usual high standard.

The Vietnamese tonight exposed Precious as a weak link by questioning not only his lack of speed but also his ability in the air by sending in high crosses that he struggled to clear.

The Vietnamese were intent on using their speed to their fullest advantage as they continually poured down either flanks, playing short one-twos to expose Daniel Bennett and Noh Rahman. Their inability to finish off their good moves proved their loss tonight.

Defending ASEAN champions Singapore only had one shot on target the whole night while Vietnam racked up nine. Since this is not boxing and there are no points for effort, the Singapore team must consider the 0-0 draw a good result.

If Singapore plays like this again in the second leg semi-final on Sunday at the National Stadium and somehow squeak through to the final against probable opponents Thailand, the chances of winning the ASEAN title for the third time running will be low.

Thailand beat Indonesia 1-0 away in their first leg semi-final and will host the second leg in Bangkok on Saturday, December 20.

Said Aleksandar Duric: “If we play like this against Thailand, they will kill us. Thailand can hold the ball and score goals. Vietnam can hold the ball but can’t score goals.”

Singapore host Vietnam on Sunday, December 21st, at the National Stadium, for the second leg of their semi-final.

REDpoll

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Read the play by play commentary by the REDcrew with guest pundit Aleksandar Duric below.