Coach Park praises Thailand as perfect; Coach Polking admits he's the underdog.
Ahead of the SEA Games 31 men's football final, coach Park Hang-seo heaped praise on Thailand's capabilities.
The two teams had somewhat contrasting journeys before meeting in the final at My Dinh Stadium. After a disappointing opening match defeat, Coach Mano Polking's team went on to achieve impressive victories, such as 5-0 wins against Cambodia and Singapore. In contrast, Vietnam started with a 3-0 victory against Indonesia, but then struggled against opponents who played with a large number of defenders, resulting in a 0-0 draw with the Philippines and a 1-0 win against Myanmar.
In the pre-match press conference on May 22nd, Coach Park said: "Thailand is a tough opponent. In the five matches played so far, they've scored 15 goals and conceded only two, and that was after they received a red card in their opening match against Malaysia. Therefore, it's impossible to accurately assess Thailand's defensive strength. Their playing style is perfect. Every team, of course, has its strengths and weaknesses. The central axis of Thailand's attack is very good, with many fast, skillful, and strong players. Vietnamese players must cover for each other and defend very tightly."
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| Park Hang-seo has the opportunity to become the first coach to lead Vietnam to two consecutive gold medals in men's football at the SEA Games. Photo: Pham Chieu |
Having advanced all the way to the final without conceding a single goal, Coach Park's team is under intense scrutiny, especially regarding their attack. Even their main striker, Nguyen Tien Linh, has only contributed two goals. "We are just one match away from the gold medal. Fans have high expectations, and that puts pressure on the players. But in my opinion, they need to overcome that pressure," Coach Park added. "Football has many variables; the result is sometimes a combination of many factors, from skill and mentality to objective circumstances. Therefore, we can only say that we will try our best to prepare for this match."
At My Dinh Stadium tomorrow, May 22nd, will be the first time in 18 years that Vietnam and Thailand meet again in the gold medal match. In the four previous finals, Vietnam lost every time. Coach Park expressed surprise at this statistic, but affirmed that it has nothing to do with the present.
"I wasn't the coach of Vietnam back then, and the current players are completely new. If we're going to talk about the past, we should also mention that we won the SEA Games last time," the South Korean coach said. "Of course, everyone experiences psychological pressure. My players and I have to try to manage it. I think everyone should overcome the psychological trauma from the past to focus on the present and the future."
For Coach Park personally, this will be a special match. In 2019, he and his players reached the final and defeated Indonesia, helping Vietnam win its first SEA Games gold medal since rejoining the competition. After this year's tournament, he will not be coaching the U23 team, but will focus on the national team. Comparing the two SEA Games, Coach Park said: "More than two years ago, in the Philippines, I participated in the SEA Games for the first time. At that time, the biggest goal was to win the first gold medal for Vietnam in 60 years. Back then, I was under a lot of psychological pressure. Fortunately, the players performed well and achieved the goal. This time, playing at home, the team has many advantages, but it also comes with pressure. I still feel the pressure in my position as head coach."
Commenting on Thailand's coach Mano Polking, he said: "As far as I know, he has a lot of experience working with Thai football, and he previously coached Ho Chi Minh City FC in the V-League. More than anyone else, Polking understands the strengths and weaknesses of Thai players, and knows a lot of information about Vietnamese players. We faced each other in the 2020 AFF Cup, so I think Thailand will probably play similarly in the upcoming match. I have already prepared strategies to counter them. Overall, I think Polking is a good coach."
Meanwhile, according to coach Mano Polking, Thailand has fewer advantages than Vietnam but will not be an easy opponent in the SEA Games 31 men's football final.
"Obviously, having to play 120 minutes in the semi-final will have some impact on the final. But luckily, Vietnam also faced a similar situation. Therefore, I think there isn't much difference in the physical condition of the two teams," Coach Polking said at the press conference at My Dinh Stadium on the morning of May 21st. "Vietnam has a clear advantage. Because they will have the enthusiastic support of 40,000 fans. Moreover, they also have the best preparation in terms of personnel. Thailand is the underdog, but a tough underdog, a top-notch underdog, because I still have many quality players and I will be determined to win this match."
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| Coach Polking answers questions at a press conference at My Dinh Stadium on the morning of May 21st. Photo: Pham Chieu |
Thailand started the SEA Games 31 with a 1-2 defeat against Malaysia. But they quickly proved that was just a temporary setback. Polking's team won all their remaining matches, scoring 15 goals to reach their 21st SEA Games final. Polking hopes that Thailand's attack will once again demonstrate its capabilities against Vietnam's high-quality defense – a team that has yet to concede a goal since the start of the tournament.
In the semi-finals, Thailand endured a tense match against Indonesia that went down to the wire in extra time, with players from both sides clashing and resulting in three red cards. After the match, Indonesian fans insulted and attacked the social media accounts of Thai players. According to Coach Polking, this only proves how much Indonesian fans love their team. He emphasized: "Conflict is unavoidable in big matches. But after the game, I saw players from both sides shaking hands amicably and respecting each other. The extremists are only a minority; the majority will review the match to see where their team was weak. I always believe football is a noble sport. We shouldn't worry about the nonsense on the internet. I just want to focus on the next match. Vietnam is a good team, with many players who have international experience and are in excellent physical condition. Coach Park will select the best lineup, and we have the support of 40,000 spectators. Therefore, our number one priority now is preparing for the match, instead of paying attention to things on social media."
In the 10 SEA Games since the age limit was changed to U23, Thailand has won 7 gold medals, but failed to advance beyond the group stage 3 times. Since the tournament was first held in 1959, Thailand has won 16 gold medals, 4 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals. This is their 21st appearance in the final.
