This will be the 16th matchup between Thailand and Vietnam.
Full Record Against Vietnam:
Won: 10
Drawn: 3
Lost: 2
Goals For: 30
Goals Against: 13
Home Record:
Won: 5
Drawn: 1
Lost: 0
Goals For: 14
Goals Against: 4
Statistics are certainly on our side. We have only ever lost twice in 15 previous matchups. The last time in 1998. We have since played 9 other games against them. The worrying point is probably the fact that we have drawn the last two.
The last matchup was only a couple of weeks ago, in Vietnam when we won the T&T Cup after drawing with the hosts Vietnam and beating our other opponents North Korea.
The last time Vietnam stepped over to Thailand and Bangkok was in early 2007 for the 2nd Leg of the ASEAN Championship 2006. The match ended in a scorless draw, but the damage was already done in the first leg in Hanoi.
The most important game between the two nations to date was way back in 1973 for a FIFA World Cup Qualifier. Back then, the game was played in Seoul, South Korea and we got thumped 3-0.
Tomorrow (6th December) will see the two sides battle it out in Phuket for the first time, after previously meeting in such exotic places as Chiang Mai, Jakarta and Bandar Seri Begawan.
The game will also pit the Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto against Englishman Peter Reid. Two coaches wanting to stamp their authority on their new sides. Calisto has yet to win as coach of Vietnam and Reid wants to stamp his authority on his team.
Tomorrow, come 7pm, we will see what each side is made of. But it certainly should be a cracker.
In tomorrows other group game, Malaysia meet Laos in the earlier kick-off.
Quick look to our Group A rivals, and matchday one brought big wins for two nations whom will be looking to go from strength to strength and now progress.
Singapore beat lowly Cambodia 5-0, surprisingly Aleksander Duric did not score!
Indonesia also thumped Myanmar 3-0, in a game i thought would have been a lot closer, but it seem's heads dropped for the Burmese
