Vietnam, Thailand tipped to win football event at SEA Games
VOV.VN - Regional powerhouses Thailand, along with defending champions and hosts Vietnam, have been touted as the favourites to win gold at men's football at SEA Games 31, according to The Straits Times of Singapore.
Vietnam play in in Group A alongside the likes of Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, while Thailand play Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia in Group B.
The Straits Times stressed that by having the advantage of playing at home, the Vietnamese team led by Korean head coach Park Hang-seo, are favourites to retain their title at the 10-team tournament where each team can call up three overaged players.
The article noted that Vietnamese players have already shown their prowess this year by winning the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-23 Championship in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in February when they beat Thailand 1-0 in the final.
“The Vietnam Football Federation has also shown strong support by pausing its domestic league for the Games. Hence, Park had free rein in his selection, calling up the national team's key figures - central midfielders Do Hung Dong, 28 and Nguyen Hoang Duc, 24 and forward Nguyen Tien Linh,” it added.
The Singaporean media outlet also listed Thailand, the most successful team in the history of football at the SEA Games with 16 titles, as another strong contender to win the title.
Ahead of the regional tournament, the Thai team showed their desire to claim their 17th title, which can be seen from the Football Association of Thailand's (FAT) decision to install Mano Polking as their coach specifically for the tournament in a one-off assignment.
Polking, who became a national hero after helping the senior team regain the AFF Suzuki Cup title in January, told The Straits Times that while he is eager to repay the faith shown in him by the FAT, it will be tough to overcome Vietnam in the event that the two sides meet.
"They are the clear favourites. They have been training together for some time, they have home-ground advantage and the crowd behind them. If they don't win it, then I won't understand it at all,” Polking shared.
