Laos coach: "Vietnam can approach the level of Japan and Korea"
Coach Ha Hyeok Ju acknowledged the superiority of the Vietnamese team after the 1-4 loss, praised the opponent's physical strength and believed the team could reach the Asian level.
"Vietnam is one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia at the moment. We had a specific plan and the players tried their best. However, our limited physical strength prevented us from maintaining good form in the second half," coach Ha Hyeok Ju said at a post-match press conference.
The Korean strategist was particularly impressed with the physicality of the Vietnamese team, believing that this is the factor that can help the team get closer to Asian level: "I am most impressed with the physicality of the Vietnamese team. If they continue to improve, they can approach strong teams like Japan or Korea, and even become a strong team in Asia."
However, coach Ha Hyeok Ju also admitted that he has not had enough time to work with the Laos team: "We have tried to improve our physical strength, but have not yet reached the desired level. The whole team will focus on improving to aim for better results in the next matches."
After the defeat, the Laos team will travel to Indonesia to face the home team on December 12. Coach Ha said: "Indonesia is a very strong opponent. We will try to help the players recover as best as possible after the long journey to prepare for this difficult match."
The defeat against Vietnam not only shows the difference in class but also motivates Laos to continue their efforts on the journey to AFF Cup 2024.
