Coach Park Hang-seo warns U23 Vietnam players about “doing too many commercials”
The Korean coach pointed out the reason why some members of the Vietnam U23 team have not regained their form when competing in V. League 2018.
“The U23 Vietnamese players have not been able to fully focus on the ball after their miracle at the U23 Asian Cup finals,” coach Park Hang-seo shared on the sidelines of the Vietnam Football Federation’s sponsorship signing ceremony with the Acecook brand. “They have too many sideline activities and commercials, so they don’t have much time for their expertise. I believe they can play better if they focus completely on football.”
Returning from the U23 Asian Cup in January, key players, especially Cong Phuong, Quang Hai, Tien Dung, Xuan Truong… often have to participate in commercial, sponsorship or charity activities. That is part of the reason why strikers like Quang Hai or Cong Phuong have gone through the first four rounds of V.League 2018 without leaving any mark.
However, in the recent training session of the Vietnamese national team, coach Park Hang-seo still called up 14 U23 players. The team played successfully in terms of results, with a 1-1 draw on the field of the strongest team in Group C, Jordan, in the final match of the 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers.
“I am satisfied with what they showed against Jordan,” said Mr. Park. “Both the young players and the veterans supported each other very well. The U23 players, in my opinion, will be more mature and have more opportunities to develop in the V.League after what they did in the U23 Asian finals.”
