Coach Nguyen Duc Thang: Proud of SLNA players' contributions to the Vietnam national team

PV: How do you feel about the group stage of this year's AFF Cup?

I find it quite interesting. The matches in the group stage of the AFF Cup 2018 were dramatic and of quite high quality, typically the two matches Philippines - Thailand (1 - 1) and Malaysia - Myanmar (3 - 0). Besides, the difference between the teams is not as big as in previous tournaments, except for East Timor which is a bit weak.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang. Photo: Archive

PV: Did you feel surprised when the Philippines surpassed Singapore and Indonesia to join Thailand in the semi-finals?

Football is a cycle, a time. In this tournament, the Philippines has many quality naturalized players and is also under the guidance of world-class coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. With such a large investment, the Philippines' achievement of reaching the semi-finals is completely deserved. Therefore, I am not surprised by what coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and his team have just done.

PV: Is the Philippines really a threat to the Vietnamese team, sir?

All four teams in the semi-finals are formidable opponents. As mentioned above, the Philippines has many quality naturalized players with European-style physique, fitness, and football thinking. Leading them is coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who is very good at his craft and has a lot of experience.

In my opinion, defeating the Philippines at this time is not easy for the Vietnam Team.

PV: In your opinion, should coach Park Hang-seo use the central midfielder pair Nguyen Quang Hai - Luong Xuan Truong in the upcoming first leg of the semi-final against the Philippines?

Each coach has his own point of view and way of using people. I think that is the right of coach Park Hang-seo to decide. Once Mr. Park uses someone, that person must be worthy, because only he understands his own intentions. Depending on each opponent, the coaches will arrange personnel to suit the proposed tactics.

For example, when playing an attacking game, which player and formation is most suitable? For example, Phan Van Duc played as a right-back for the Vietnam National Team in the match against Myanmar.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang was satisfied with the performance of his two students Que Ngoc Hai and Van Duc at the AFF Cup. Photo: Archive

PV: Are you satisfied with the performance of your two favorite students at SLNA, Phan Van Duc and Que Ngoc Hai, in recent matches?

I am very satisfied. At SLNA, Hai and Duc always demonstrated their talent and high fighting spirit. When they were selected for the national team, with great honor, both of them completed their assigned tasks and met the expectations of the fans.

Witnessing the excellent performances of Hai and Duc at the AFF Cup 2018, I feel very proud of SLNA's contribution to the overall achievements of the Vietnam National Team.

PV: What do you predict about the result of the first leg semi-final between the Philippines and Vietnam?

The solidity of the defense will help Coach Park Hang-seo and his team achieve a favorable result against the host team, the Philippines. The final score of this match could be 1-0 for the Vietnamese team, or at least a 0-0 draw. I believe in Coach Park Hang-seo's calculations.

PV: Thank you for this conversation!