AFF Cup: The team's problems and the pressure on coach Park.

Regarding the team's personnel, coach Park Hang Seo has essentially called up all the best players he has at his disposal.

Despite some regrets regarding certain positions or unexpected injuries that forced them to miss this year's AFF Cup, the core of the Vietnam U23 team, built up over a long period, is still sufficient for Coach Park's plans and calculations.

The first problem, as coach Le Thuy Hai once stated, is: “The team has had little time to train together recently, so their play will be disjointed and lack coordination. Their physical condition is declining, as shown in the V.League where players suffer from cramps frequently, lack energy, play poorly, and have low morale. Therefore, they need time to recover. But will they have enough time to recover? And even after recovery, they will have to gradually increase their training intensity to prepare. How can we get them to peak performance now? It's very difficult.”

Expert Le Thuy Hai's comments about coach Park Hang Seo are somewhat harsh, but the first part is entirely accurate. The 2018 V.League season is long, and the physical condition of many players is questionable, even those like Tien Dung and Xuan Truong.

Coach Park Hang Seo is taking Vietnamese football to a new level. Photo: VNF

Following the Asian Games, injuries to Xuan Manh, Hung Dung, and Van Thanh, along with the departure of many other players before the AFF Cup, reflect the reality that many players are overloaded after a year of intense competition. This is especially true for players who have competed in multiple tournaments.

The AFF Cup is only a month away, but the Vietnamese national team has not and will not have any significant friendly matches. The last time the Vietnamese national team played an international friendly was on March 22, 2017. At that time, under coach Nguyen Huu Thang, Cong Phuong and his teammates drew 1-1 against Taiwan at Hang Day Stadium.

Traveling to South Korea for training includes three friendly matches against Incheon United (12th/12th), Seoul FC (9th/12th), and Seoul E-Land (10th/10th). These are all clubs in the K-League Classic and the Korean Second Division, considered bottom-of-the-table teams, not strong enough to test the Vietnamese national team. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese national team needs to reduce training intensity, accurately calculate peak performance timing, and refine their form after the next three matches.

The Thai national team also finished their domestic league late, but they still had two important friendly matches against Hong Kong and Trinidad & Tobago. Playing friendly matches before a major tournament shouldn't be underestimated. Remember that at the 2008 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team won thanks to good preparation. The same applies to the U23 Asian Championship earlier this year; gaining experience against higher-level opponents is very beneficial.

Regional rivals continue to improve, quietly preparing for the tournament. The Vietnamese national team carries the heavy responsibility of winning the championship after two Asian upsets. Yet, coach Park Hang Seo and his team haven't had a single friendly match in all this time. Everything remains chaotic, and Coach Park feels the pressure and a terrifying silence!

Coach Park Hang-seo: 'I feel pressured because of the high expectations for the AFF Cup'

The South Korean coach said that the AFF Cup is a very important tournament, and he will do his best to help the Vietnamese team achieve good results.