PETALING JAYA: There won’t be a spring to Vietnam’s naturalised Brazilian striker Rafaelson Bezerra’s (pic) step when he sets foot on the Cheras Football Stadium field tonight.
But the 29-year-old, now known as Nguyen Xuan Son, is ready to grit his teeth and bear the discomfort of playing on a pitch he dislikes to get a win against Malaysia in their Hyundai AFF Cup semi-final first-leg tie.
Xuan Son, one of the most feared strikers in the region, said the cow grass pitch reminded him of the bygone era of football.
“Personally, I don’t like this grass. It is like the olden days, one that is not common for international matches these days,” he said during the pre-match press conference yesterday.
“But I have played on pitches like these in Vietnam, so I will get used to it. We are in 2026, so we need to play on better pitches.’’
Despite his reservations about the pitch, Xuan Son said Vietnam were fully focused on their own preparation rather than dwelling on the opposition.
“We think more about us, our preparation, the food, the rest, the recovery. I think that is more important,” he said.
As for Vietnam coach Kim Sang-sik, speaking through a translator, he credited his squad’s discipline for their unbeaten run through the group stage and into the last four.
“Every single player did their best. We analysed each opponent, and the players have followed the game plan we prepared. That is why we reached the semi-finals,” he said.
Vietnam go into the tie on a lengthy unbeaten streak of 22 games on the international stage, a record Sang-sik wants his players to treat as motivation rather than pressure.
