Head coach Hendrique Calisto (C) directs Vietnamese players at a training session in Phuket, Thailand

Vietnam this evening heads into its opening match against Thailand at the 2008 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup brimming with confidence.

Team head coach Hendrique Calisto had his players practice quick combinations, perhaps honing a strategy that had previously worked when the Vietnamese squad drew the Thai team 2-2 at a friendly in Hanoi last month.

In the second half of that match, the Vietnamese side controlled the tempo by launching swift attacks from both flanks and the central field area, putting relentless pressure on Southeast Asia’s top team.

Additionally, Vietnamese football fans have placed much hope on the national team, as the players have displayed top form at recent practices.

However, a major concern is the bad field conditions of Sarakul Stadium in Phuket, which may seriously affect the teamwork dynamic.

In today’s match, Calisto will probably use Minh Duc alongside central fullback Nhu Thanh on defense instead of Phuoc Tu as Duc combines better with Thanh and has more experience than Tu on the international stage.

“I may not be in the starting lineup tomorrow,” Tu told Thanh Nien Friday. “But I believe our team will win.”

Tai Em and Minh Phuong will start in the midfield, with Tan Tai and Thanh Luong on the wings and Cong Vinh and Viet Thang up front as strikers.

“We have been playing well in practice and are looking forward to the challenge against Thailand,” midfielder Em said.

Powerful opponent

Thailand will have the upper hand playing in front of its home crowd, but their coach Peter Reid has been conspicuously mum regarding any predictions.

Reid has also been extra careful with limiting media presence at his practice sessions, having reminded his assistants many times to prevent Vietnamese reporters from videotaping any parts of his players’ routines.

The Thai players appear to be better-conditioned compared to the last clash at T&T Cup in Hanoi last month. The team usually performs well against Vietnam, controlling match play for long durations.

Nataporn, Thonglao and Suchao are quite accurate on long-distance shots so they will be closely marked.

Moreover, forward Teerathep is a dangerous playmaker but Vietnamese defender Nhu Thanh is also tough, so the one-on-one battle can go both ways on the field.

Another advantage for Thailand is that some of their players like captain

Niweat, goalkeeper Kittisak and midfielder Thonglao have played in Vietnam for several years and are quite familiar with their Vietnamese counterparts.

But when asked to predict a possible outcome for the match, Reid just tersely said, “Vietnam is a good opponent and we must be careful, as our goal is to stack up the wins and grab the title.”

Reported by Quang Huy