Coach Park Hang-seo: Vietnam team is sure to enter the semi-finals of AFF Cup 2022 with the top position in the group

This morning (January 2), a press conference was held in Hanoi before the match between the Vietnam National Team and the Myanmar National Team at the AFF Cup 2022. Coach Park Hang-seo sent New Year greetings to Vietnamese fans, and affirmed that he and his players are determined to win to have a good start in 2023.

"Happy New Year to all Vietnamese people and everyone sitting here. The match against Myanmar is the opening match of Vietnamese football in 2023. We try to win to start a year full of events for the national teams. I also want to make sure to continue to the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2022 with the top spot in the group," said coach Park Hang-seo.

Coach Park Hang-seo sends New Year wishes to Vietnamese fans. Photo: Hai Hoang

Vietnam has a 99% chance of advancing, and a win over Myanmar will ensure the home team takes first place in Group B. Coach Park's team will face the second-placed team in Group A.

"I'm waiting to see which opponent in Group A will make it to the semi-finals. I also say that I don't know who I will meet. Football is a sport with too many variables, there can be surprises, but any team that makes it is worthy and has good ability," said Mr. Park.

Evaluating the opponent, Coach Park said that Myanmar has a German coach appointed since 2018, who has participated in the SEA Games. Besides, Myanmar's technique is quite good. If this team is given enough space, they will play very well.

Coach Park Hang-seo and Quang Hai at the press conference. Photo: Hai Hoang

Coach Park Hang-seo said he has made calculations so that the players do not lose strength before the semi-final match: "Depending on the ranking of the Vietnamese team and the match schedule with potential opponents in the semi-final, I have to consider distributing the players' physical strength for the matches.

It is possible that after the match against Myanmar, the Vietnamese team will have to leave early to play the away match in time," the Korean strategist emphasized.

According to the tournament regulations, if Vietnam wins Group B, they will have to play away in the first leg and return home for the second leg of the semi-finals. However, if they reach the final, Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will have to play at home in the first leg and away in the second leg.

In response to many opinions that there is a gap in quality between the main and reserve squads of the Vietnam national team, Mr. Park shared: "People often distinguish between main, secondary, and key players. But each position I build is in a set of two, each position has two players with not too much difference in level, the only difference is whether they have played or not.

Vietnam team wants to give a New Year gift to fans. Photo: Hai Hoang

Over the past five years I have worked hard to close the gap between the two players I have chosen for each position. I have faith in all 23 players, of course there are games when they do their job, and there are games when they make mistakes. In my opinion, there is no gap between two players in the same position at the moment, this is our best point.

Meanwhile, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai said: "Currently, I feel 100% healthy and ready to take on the task. I have not scored yet but have made an assist. The most important thing is that I must always be ready to take on the task from the coaching staff.

When I returned from France, I had nothing to be surprised or worried about because the time I played for the national team had imbued me with the philosophy, and when I returned, there was no confusion. Each trip will accumulate more experience to help me adapt best to the environments I go to."

The match between Vietnam and Myanmar will take place at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow (January 3)./.