VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam will play Laos in the last Group B match of the 26th SEA Games on Thursday at the Jakarta Lebak Bulus Stadium in Indonesia.

The result of the game will not affect either team, as Viet Nam have already qualified for the next round while Laos is set to return home.

Coach Falko Goetz will field his strongest players in preparation for the semi-final match where Viet Nam are expected to play defending champions Malaysia on Saturday.

His favourite defender Nguyen Thanh Long Giang and striker Hoang Dinh Tung have fully recovered from injuries and are scheduled to start the match.

Nguyen Van Quyet, who has scored four times in four games, will pair with Tung on the front line.

Giang, who has played well in the previous two matches, will be supported by Chu Ngoc Anh, one of V-League's best defenders, and Au Van Hoan who scored a goal for Viet Nam in the match against East Timor last week.

Captain Nguyen Thanh Luong will lead the midfield line which gathers Nguyen Trong Hoang, Nguyen Van Thang and Hoang Thinh, who have steadily found their peak since the beginning of the Games.

Goalkeeper Ngoc Buu, who was rested in the first match, will continue after a stellar performance of keeping his net safe over 270 minutes of play.

Viet Nam currently have 10 points and rank at the top of group B while Laos are in fourth with only four points.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News