Malaysia's former star: 'Vietnam's host carefully calculated when choosing Thiên Trường Stadium'

As the match against Malaysia approaches, Vietnam's choice of Thiên Trường Stadium has unexpectedly been scrutinized more thoroughly by the opponent.

Before the encounter with Vietnam in Group F of the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, Malaysian media unexpectedly revisited the Thiên Trường Stadium story. Although the decision to choose the venue was made earlier, as the match draws near, many opinions from the opponent began to delve deeper into the potential advantage Vietnam could create at home.

According to Astro Arena, former Malaysian goalkeeper Azmin Azram Abdul Aziz believes this was not a random choice. He thinks the Vietnamese host carefully calculated to maximize conditions for Nguyễn Xuân Son - the striker considered one of Vietnam's biggest hopes. And this assessment has become the detail emphasized most by Malaysia before the match begins.

Azmin Azram straightforwardly commented: "This is a tactically intentional move by the Vietnamese host. Thiên Trường is where key striker Nguyễn Xuân Son regularly plays and trains. He will feel comfortable." The former goalkeeper born in 1976 said Thiên Trường is a familiar environment for Xuân Son, where the naturalized Brazilian striker has regularly played and trained while with Nam Định Club. According to him, this familiarity factor could provide a significant mental advantage for the Vietnamese team.

Nevertheless, Malaysia remains confident in its ability to lock down Xuân Son. Azmin Azram believes the home team's defense is capable of neutralizing Vietnam's most dangerous threat, especially with the presence of Dion Cools - the center-back playing for Cerezo Osaka in J-League 1. He emphasized: "This task is not difficult for a high-level and experienced player like Cools. He can handle the pressure even in an atmosphere like Thiên Trường.".

Not limited to professional factors, this match also carries many tense side stories. Previously, Malaysia was penalized by AFC with a 0-3 loss in two matches against Nepal and Vietnam due to using seven naturalized players with falsified documents. The consequence was that this team lost the top spot in Group F and the ticket to the Asian Cup 2027 finals to Vietnam, making the rematch even more anticipated.

Therefore, the Vietnam vs. Malaysia match is still seen as a confrontation with great significance for both sides. Vietnam wants to settle the debt of the 0-4 loss in the first leg, while Malaysia eagerly aims to end its 12-year streak of not winning against Vietnam away, and regain trust from its fans. And from the perspective of Malaysian media, the decision to choose Thiên Trường is precisely the first strategic move in this calculated encounter.