Coach Park Hang Seo: “The Four-Team Tournament will be a stepping stone for the 2018 Asian Games”
Head coach Park Hang Seo affirmed that he and his players will compete with the highest spirit in the four-team tournament starting tomorrow, August 3rd. This is also an opportunity for the South Korean coach to get an accurate assessment of each player, thereby narrowing down the list from 30 to 20 players to take to Indonesia for the 2018 Asian Games.
Speaking at a press conference before the tournament on the morning of August 2nd, Vietnam Olympic team head coach Park Hang Seo affirmed: “Our main goal in this tournament is to test the capabilities of the 20 players and improve the team's tactics. However, we are not here to play. I do not take this friendly tournament lightly. As a coach, I seek victory in every tournament I participate in.”
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| Coach Park Hang Seo highly appreciates the importance of the Four-Team Tournament. Photo: Gia Hung |
On August 7th, I will finalize the list of 20 players. In the upcoming three friendly matches, all players will have the opportunity to play fairly, based on their form and effort. The team's tactics will also be tested in this tournament in preparation for the Asian Games.
After the U23 Asian Championship in China, we were very well-received, so in this Four-Team Tournament, even though it's preparation for the Asian Games, the team has a responsibility to play as well as possible to please the fans.”
Regarding the selection of 20 players, the South Korean strategist stated: "I will choose 3 players over 23 years old, and the remaining 17 positions. We have 18 players who have played in China and have all proven their abilities, plus 8 new players selected from the V-League. These players will be chosen based on their ability and spirit. Of the 18 former players, except for the goalkeeper who has played less at the club level, the rest have all played at least 70% of the season for their clubs."
In this four-team tournament, one important thing is that I will be changing the positions of many players to see if they can perform well in those positions."
Also present at the press conference was Vietnam Olympic team captain Nguyen Van Quyet. The Hanoi FC striker is one of the four overage players in the U23 team. He affirmed: “The Vietnam Olympic team has been the heart and soul of the national team for a long time. For the past two years, we have continuously played together in the national team. Personally, I find playing and integrating with the younger players to be great. I am confident that I am in my best form. I will play well with my teammates in the upcoming tournament to be in top form before the Asian Games.”
The Vietnamese Olympic team will have their final training session at 5 PM this afternoon before taking to the field against Palestine U23 at 7:30 PM on August 3rd.
