In Vietnam, football is very popular. Whenever there is a major event, fans on the streets and alleys enthusiastically discuss the direction of the event. For Vietnamese fans who are keen on studying football events, football half-time analysis skills can not only enhance the fun of watching the game, but also play a key role in event prediction. Below, I will analyze the football half-time analysis skills in detail from multiple key dimensions.

I. Accurate analysis of team fundamentals

(I) Differences in home and away performance

In Vietnam’s domestic leagues and international competitions, home and away factors have a significant impact on team performance. For example, when Ho Chi Minh City Football Club plays at home, with the enthusiastic support of home fans and familiarity with the venue, the winning rate is as high as 65%, the offensive firepower is stronger, and the average number of goals per game is 0.5 more than away games. When playing away games, players often face problems such as travel fatigue and pressure from away fans, which limits their performance. When analyzing the half-time, if a home team is a strong team against an away team, the home team is more likely to score first in the first half with the advantage of home court; in the second half, if the home team leads in the first half, the probability of maintaining the advantage is relatively high.

(II) Recent status and schedule density

The team's recent status is the core point of the half-time analysis. A team that has achieved 4 wins and 1 draw in the past 5 games has full confidence and tacit cooperation. The players enter the state quickly in the first half and the probability of scoring first is greatly increased. On the contrary, if the team suffers three consecutive defeats, morale is low, and the defense is full of loopholes, it may fall into a passive position in the first half. The schedule density cannot be ignored either. In the dense schedule stage of the Vietnam League, such as double games a week, some teams are prone to mistakes in the second half due to insufficient physical reserves, and they are often reversed by the opponent. For example, when Da Nang Football Club plays consecutive away games and the schedule is tight, the number of matches in the second half that are equalized or overtaken by the opponent accounts for 35%.

(III) Player lineup and injury situation

The absence of core players has a huge impact on the team. In the Vietnam national team game, if the star player Nguyen Quang Hai was absent due to injury, the team's offensive creativity would drop significantly. When analyzing half-time, it is necessary to focus on the injuries and suspensions of key players. If a team's main goalkeeper is injured, the risk of the goal being broken in the first half increases; if the core midfielder is suspended, the team's ball control and organizational ability in the first half will be greatly reduced. In addition, the strength of the substitute players and the coach's substitution strategy will also change the situation in the second half of the game. Experienced coaches can adjust tactics through reasonable substitutions to help the team achieve a reversal in the unfavorable half-time situation.

II. In-depth study of historical confrontation data

(I) Past half-time results

By reviewing the half-time results of the past confrontations between the two teams, important clues can be unearthed. Take Hanoi FC and Binh Duong FC in the Vietnam League as an example. In the last 5 matches, 3 of them were tied in the first half, and Hanoi FC won 2 and tied 1 in the second half. This may be because the two teams have similar tactical styles. They tested each other in the first half, and Hanoi FC had the upper hand in the second half with better physical fitness and tactical execution. Another example is the match between the Vietnam national team and the Thailand national team. Past match data shows that the probability of Thailand scoring first in the first half is as high as 60%, which is closely related to the Thai team's tactical style of actively pressing and quickly counterattacking in the opening stage.

(II) Characteristics of goal time distribution

Studying the distribution of goal time in past games is crucial to predicting the half-time goal situation. Some teams are good at starting with a strong attack and striving to take the lead in the first half, such as Gia Lai Hoang Anh Football Club in the Vietnam League, which scored in the first half in 7 of the last 10 games; while some teams make a comeback in the second half, such as Hai Phong Football Club, which achieved a score reversal in 4 of the last 5 games in the second half. At the same time, the last 15 minutes of the game is also a critical period. Some teams' physical fitness declines at this time, and their defensive attention is not focused, which increases the probability of opponents scoring goals. This needs to be considered when analyzing the results of the first half.

III. Accurate interpretation of tactics and coaching style

(I) Team tactical system

Different tactical systems have a far-reaching impact on the progress of the game. The 4-3-3 offensive tactics adopted by the Vietnam national team emphasize the combination of wing and center and high-position pressing. There are many offensive opportunities in the first half and a high probability of scoring; while some defensive counterattack teams, such as Nam Dinh Football Club in the Vietnam League, first stabilize their defense in the first half and launch a counterattack in the second half by taking advantage of the defensive gaps after the opponent's attack. In addition, the team's tactical execution ability is also critical. A team with poor tactical coordination will find it difficult to form an effective offense in the first half, and may even lose the ball due to defensive errors, leading to a half-time lag.

(II) Coach's on-the-spot command style

The coach's on-the-spot command plays a decisive role in the trend of the game at halftime and throughout the game. Park Hang-seo, a well-known Vietnamese coach, is known for his flexible adjustment of tactics and substitution decisions. The team he coaches often changes the situation through tactical adjustments and substitutions after halftime. When the team is behind or tied in the first half, he will decisively replace the offensive players to strengthen the offensive firepower; conservative coaches are more inclined to strengthen defense and maintain victory when the team is leading. For example, in the Vietnamese league, when a team coached by a certain coach leads in the first half, 70% of the games in the second half will adopt a defensive counterattack tactic to maintain the leading advantage until the end of the game.

IV. Pay close attention to pre-match dynamics and off-field factors

(I) Media coverage and public opinion orientation

Pre-match media coverage and public opinion orientation will affect the team's mentality and performance. Excessive media hype about the team may bring psychological pressure to the players, leading to poor performance in the first half; players of teams that are generally pessimistic from the outside world often hold back their energy and may perform above their level in the game. The media's predictions and analysis of the game will also affect the psychological expectations of fans and bettors, thereby affecting the enthusiasm for betting on the game and indirectly affecting the team's performance, which needs to be taken into consideration when analyzing half-time.

(II) Weather and field conditions

Weather and field conditions are important off-field factors. In the rainy season in Vietnam, heavy rain caused the field to be slippery, affecting players' ball control and passing, slowing down the pace of the game, and possibly reducing the number of goals in the first half. In hot weather, players' physical energy consumption is fast, and more mistakes are made in the second half. The quality and size of the grass on different fields will also affect the team's tactical performance. Some teams are more adaptable to specific fields. When playing on these fields, it is easier to get into the state in the first half. These factors should be taken seriously in the half-time analysis.

Football half-time analysis is a comprehensive task that requires in-depth research from many aspects such as team fundamentals, historical confrontation data, tactics and coaching style, and pre-match dynamics. Only when Vietnamese fans master these analytical skills and apply them flexibly in combination with actual conditions can they be more accurate in analyzing and predicting football matches and fully enjoy the fun and charm of football.