Vietnam’s national team head coach Hendrique Calisto is confident about achieving good results at the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008

As Vietnam prepares to meet host Thailand at the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2008 this Saturday, head coach Hendrique Calisto shows respect of is his opponent but quietly confident about his team’ chances.

The key to approaching the tournament, according to the coach, is to respect the abilities of the opposition but focus on winning one match at a time.

“It would be perfect if we could draw with Thailand and beat Laos and Malaysia, but this is pure speculation,” he said. “We don’t put too much weight on prognostication, but rather just try to work hard and improve our play each game.”

Careful preparations

When asked why he chose to take three goalkeepers along to the tournament, Calisto said it is essential because the third goalie may be needed at any time.

“Chelsea in the English Premier League once needed third-string Hilario when top keeper Petr Cech was nursing injuries and backup Cudicini was suspended,” Calisto said, adding that Vietnam’s leading goalie Hong Son performs admirably but often gets hurt.

Other observers have questioned why Calisto took defender Thanh Giang to the tournament instead of Chi Cong, even though Cong has been training with the team regularly while Giang hasn’t seen the field once.

The coach said that the move was a strategy to increase competition among the current pool of defenders, as having Giang vie for a spot in the starting lineup against Nhu Thanh, Phuoc Tu and Minh Duc will keep all the players on their toes.

Additionally, Calisto is quite familiar with Giang’s abilities, having previously coached him during his time as head man for Dong Tam Long An club, and the defender fits the national team’s needs better than Cong.

Grand vision

Heading into the tournament, Calisto has set up a goal for his team to capture at least the bronze medal. If this aim appears to be modest, the coach reiterates that he wants his players to concentrate on improving their teamwork through each stage of the competition, rather than daydreaming about the end result.

“I myself am quite confident my players will achieve a good outcome, but we must focus on each match in the group stage first,” Calisto said.

In the 2002 AFF Cup, then called the Tiger Cup, Calisto also asked his players to concentrate on each match and Vietnam came away with the bronze medal.

“There is no difference between the goal we had set for ourselves at the AFF Cup in 2002 and this year’s ambition,” Calisto said. “Vietnamese football has improved since then, but other teams have also grown stronger.”

Vietnamese fans always want to see great achievements from the national team, but the coach cautions that it is more prudent to set out realistic expectations for victory.

He wouldn’t promise his team would win all the matches, but reassured that the players will bring glory to Vietnam.

Last-minute detour

The switch of venue from Bangkok to Phuket has made it more difficult for the Vietnamese players as it shortens the preparation time they have between their arrival and the first match.

The local footballers had to endure an 11-hour journey to Phuket, which included a long layover in Singapore. The last-minute venue relocation also made it hard for Vietnamese fans to cheer on the team as tours to Phuket are expensive, while the current civil unrest in Thailand has deterred many diehards.

Despite these drawbacks, the talent level for the national team is quite palpable and, with an eagle-eyed coach at the helm, Vietnam is poised for success at this year’s regional football clash.

Reported by Dang Khoa - Le Ngo