HA NOI — Defending champions Singapore tied host Viet Nam nil-nil in the AFF Suzuki Cup’s semi-final first leg match yesterday at Ha Noi’s My Dinh Stadium.

This gives Singapore a small advantage when they return home to play on their own ground.

It was the third straight draw between the two sides, including two friendly practice matches last month.

With their home advantage, Viet Nam received great encouragement and support from thousands of fans who filled the 50,000-seat stadium – and set out to dominate.

Halfback Le Tan Tai warmed up with a header in the second minute which went over the bar.

Knowing his players were small, Viet Nam’s Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto asked them to use low and short balls, but with high speed to attack Singapore.

His advice nearly led to a score at the 18th minute.

Midfielder Nguyen Vu Phong gave a smart pass to striker Nguyen Viet Thang to the right wing, who then faced Singaporean keeper Lionel Lewis.

Phong, who was a member of the two-time V-League champions Dong Tam Long An, ran close to the goal-mouth before giving a straight shot. Lewis failed to stop it and just looked at the ball as it passed out of his reach. But it was not Thang’s lucky day. The ball hit a goal post.

The miss heightened the push by the hosts, whose captain, Phan Van Tai Em, sprinted from midfield to take part in another attack three minutes later.

Tai Em chose the right place to catch a high ball from a free kick, jumped up to nod but his 10m attempt went wide.

Viet Thang missed his second chance. After a solo performance, Thang freely entered the penalty area and faced Lewis, who had to work very hard but was supported by luck. Thang’s shot missed goal by a hair’s breadth.

In the second half, Singapore stopped playing defensively and moved to the attack. The team, with many members imported from China, England and Nigeria, kept Vietnamese players on the run.

Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic put Alam Shah in the field, who added form and physical strength to the forward line. Shah did not let down his coach, creating disorder among the Vietnamese defenders.

The host could not find a chance to threaten Lewis, but they had to return to the home field to save keeper Hong Son.

At the 73rd, Casmir received a ball after a miss by Nhu Thanh near the box. The Nigerian-born player rapidly ran in to face goalie Son, but fortunately defender Phuoc Tu got home in time to kick it away.

One minute later, Tu scored what appeared to be an own goal trying to save his net. But while Singapore players were celebrating, a referee assistant raised the flag to show that one of them was in offside position.

Avramovic aggressively objected, but could not change the decision.

The last 15 minutes were the hardest for Viet Nam in the tournament. They had to stretch their power to resist Singapore’s assaults, using high balls to hunt for a goal.

The away-ground draw seemed to satisfy Avramovic. He and his team will enjoy home-ground in the return match in Singapore on Sunday. —