HAGL star in the starting lineup, Tien Linh on the bench, many 'shocking' positions

Vietnam team captain returns

Coach Kim Sang-sik has announced the starting lineup of the Vietnamese team in the match against the Philippines at Rizal Memorial Stadium, taking place at 8:00 p.m. today (December 18).

Keeping the goal is still goalkeeper Nguyen Filip. The 1992-born goalkeeper has just ended a streak of 9 draws and losses with the national team, when he kept a clean sheet in Vietnam's 1-0 win over Indonesia. Nguyen Filip is still the most classy and stable goalkeeper of the current Vietnamese team.

Đội tuyển Việt Nam đấu Philippines: Sao HAGL đá chính, Tiến Linh dự bị, nhiều vị trí 'sốc'- Ảnh 1. — Vietnam team starting lineup

In defense, the three trusted central defenders are Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Thanh Binh and Bui Hoang Viet Anh. Thus, captain Duy Manh has returned after sitting out the match against Indonesia.

In midfield, the central position belongs to the trio Doan Ngoc Tan, Chau Ngoc Quang and Nguyen Quang Hai. The two wings include Khuat Van Khang and Vu Van Thanh.

On the attack line, the starting positions are called Bui Vi Hao and Dinh Thanh Binh. The formation used by the Vietnamese team is 3-5-2.

So compared to the match against Indonesia, coach Kim Sang-sik only kept Nguyen Filip, Quang Hai and Ngoc Tan. The remaining positions have been rotated.

If Vietnam defeats the Philippines, they will enter the semi-finals one round early as group winners. This is also the goal the whole team is aiming for, to easily calculate in the final match.

Coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed: "The Vietnamese team is very hopeful and ready, despite the difficult schedule. The whole team has not lost in the group stage, so we will try to win to enter the semi-finals soon. We are really ready to prepare for tomorrow's match."

The Vietnamese team has won all five of their most recent encounters with the Philippines, scoring 12 goals and conceding five. At the opponent's Rizal Memorial Stadium alone, Quang Hai and his teammates have also won both of their most recent away matches.

The challenge for the Vietnamese team will come on the artificial pitch in Manila. With very little time to prepare for the matches, adapting to the new grass will be a challenge for Mr. Kim and his team.

"Some members of the Vietnamese team have experience playing on this field. In Korea, we also practice on artificial turf. At the same time, the coaching staff has a plan to remind the players to play at their best," coach Kim Sang-sik assessed.

In contrast to the winning streak of the Vietnamese team, the Philippines drew all their first two matches. Coach Albert Capellas and his team were held to a 1-1 draw by Laos and Myanmar. If they do not beat Vietnam, the Philippines will likely be eliminated from the group stage.

Coach Capellas affirmed: "Through analysis, we understand that the Vietnamese team is the strongest team in the group. That is the opponent we must defeat. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for the Philippine team to prove themselves, if they can defeat such an opponent."