Striker Nguyễn Xuân Son has made history in Vietnamese football by becoming the first naturalised player to score for the national team in an official tournament.
In addition to Việt Nam, India also improved their ranking in Asia, rising from 127th to 126th. Conversely, Indonesia fell two spots to 127th after losing 1.7 points.
Sitting at the top of the ranking, Kim and his players need only one point to go through to the next stage, and are determined to win at the Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ Province.
Kim Sang-sik and Albert Capellas Herms were in different moods after Việt Nam and the Philippines'' 1-1 draw in Group B of the ASEAN Cup on December 18 in Manila.
Việt Nam has won the championship twice, in 2008 and 2018, and now aims to secure its third title under the guidance of new head coach Kim Sang-sik from South Korea.
Following the national team''s 4-1 victory over Laos, Vietnamese striker Nguyễn Tiến Linh was voted the best player of the match. While he appreciated the recognition, his thoughts quickly turned to the upcoming confrontation with Indonesia.
New captain Đỗ Duy Mạnh confirmed Việt Nam''s determination for a win in the opening match of Group B against hosts Laos in the ASEAN Cup on December 9 in Vientiane.
Việt Nam will be in Group A with Thailand, Iran and Chinese Taipei in the upcoming Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, according to the event’s draw held on Sunday in the northern province of Ninh Bình.
Midfielder Vũ Minh Tuấn has been ruled out of the Việt Nam national football squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers because of injury, head coach Nguyễn Hữu Thắng has confirmed.
New national head coach Nguyễn Hữu Thắng yesterday named 32 players who will gather in Hà Nội this weekend to prepare for the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.