Monday at GBK: Harimau Malaya Face Vietnam Without Cools and Faisal as Indonesia and Thailand Meet in the Final

The FIFA ASEAN Cup ends on Monday, 5 October, with two matches at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Malaysia play Vietnam for third place, and hosts Indonesia take on Thailand for the first title. For Harimau Malaya, the target now is to end the tournament on a high. They will have to do it without two important players.

Cools and Faisal ruled out

Interim head coach Tan Cheng Hoe confirmed on Saturday that captain Dion Cools and winger Faisal Halim will miss the Vietnam game. Faisal has gone home for more treatment on calf and tendon injuries he picked up against Indonesia. Cools left the camp after the Singapore match.

"Following the match against Singapore the other day, Dion (Cools) is not with us for the upcoming match because he has family matters that need to be settled urgently," Cheng Hoe told Bernama. "We respect Dion's decision and wish him the best. At the same time, we expect the other players to be ready for the match against Vietnam."

Cheng Hoe said losing Cools would affect the defence, since the defender is both a key part of the back line and the captain. There was good news in attack: he confirmed that striker Bergson da Silva, who scored a hat-trick against Singapore, is available.

The 58-year-old said the squad was getting over missing the final on goals scored. "Indeed, at that time the whole team, including players and officials, were quite disappointed, but even though we did not qualify for the final, all team members remained positive and the atmosphere is quite good," he said.

Vietnam: tired legs, but motivated

Vietnam reached the third-place match by coming from behind to beat Pakistan 4-2 at GBK on Friday. Mohib Ullah gave Pakistan the lead in the 31st minute. In the second half, goals from Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Dinh Bac and 19-year-old Williams Minh Hoang turned the game around.

Coach Kim Sang-sik blamed the Jakarta heat for a poor first half. "We have to admit that the weather was very hot. The conditions significantly affected the players' concentration in the first half, which led to us conceding," the South Korean said.

According to VietNamNet, several Vietnam players did not finish the match, and Kim may give minutes to squad players. "This will be our fourth match of the tournament, but we will still approach the next game as if it were a final," he said.

The final: Herdman vs Hudson

Thailand won Group B with a game to spare after beating Pakistan and then Vietnam 2-0. With their place in the final already secured, coach Anthony Hudson rested several players for Friday's game against the Philippines and lost 2-1. Bjorn Martin Kristensen scored both goals for the Philippines, and they were the first goals Thailand had conceded in the tournament.

Indonesia reached the final by beating Bangladesh 9-2, a result FAM has since asked FIFA to explain because the stoppage time was extended.

The final kicks off at 8pm Jakarta time (9pm in Malaysia). It is also a meeting of two English coaches. "He knows how I play. He studied Canada when we faced the United States in many matches," Herdman said of Hudson. "We have an opportunity to chase our first trophy, create history and continue making this country proud."

Hudson has been clear about Thailand's target. "We want to win it. That is our target," he said before the tournament.

History favours the visitors. Thailand have beaten Indonesia in two previous finals at GBK, both on penalties: the 1997 SEA Games final and the 2002 AFF Championship final.

What to watch

• Malaysia's back line without Cools: the team kept clean sheets in all three group games.
• Vietnam's fitness: they have had only two days to recover from a draining match.
• Indonesia's goals: Mitchell Baker has five after his display against Bangladesh.
• Thailand's rested starters: Chanathip Songkrasin and Sarach Yooyen both started on the bench against the Philippines.

Key takeaways

• Malaysia play Vietnam for third place at GBK on Monday, 5 October, without captain Dion Cools (family matters) and Faisal Halim (injury).
• Bergson da Silva is available, according to Tan Cheng Hoe.
• Vietnam came from behind to beat Pakistan 4-2, but have fitness concerns.
• Indonesia meet Thailand in the final at 8pm Jakarta time (9pm Malaysian time), a meeting of English coaches John Herdman and Anthony Hudson.

FAQ

Why is Dion Cools missing the Vietnam match? Tan Cheng Hoe said Cools left the camp after the Singapore match because of urgent family matters.

Who finished where in Group B? Thailand topped the group and reached the final. Vietnam finished second and play Malaysia for third place.

What time is the final in Malaysia? It kicks off at 8pm Jakarta time, which is 9pm in Malaysia, on Monday, 5 October.

Sources: Bernama, Jakarta Globe, VnExpress International, VietNamNet, ASEAN Football Federation