Philippines coach admits Vietnam is the strongest opponent of AFF Cup 2018

In the semi-final match of the AFF Cup 2018 on away soil, the Vietnam national team defeated the Philippines with a score of 2-1. The goals of the Vietnam national team were scored by Nguyen Anh Duc and Phan Van Duc, while Patrick Reichelt was the one who brought home the honorary goal for the home team.

Speaking after this victory, coach Park Hang-seo said: "Thank you to the players for the victory, the advantage of 2 goals on the opponent's field is quite large."

Coach Park Hang-seo thanks his players after the victory over the Philippines. Photo: QT

"No team is perfect enough to not concede a goal throughout the tournament. We have analyzed our opponents quite well. Many opportunities were missed in today's match, but I believe the players will score more goals in the second leg," added Coach Park.

Talking about the players' performance, coach Park Hang-seo said: "I always trust all 23 players. Today, they took the field and completed their tasks well. I always discuss with my colleagues to choose the best lineup, I will also be responsible for any personnel changes I make during the match."

"During the break, I asked the players to exploit the area behind the opponent's defense and they did very well, resulting in Van Duc's goal to increase the score to 2-1," the Korean strategist shared.

Meanwhile, coach Sven-Göran Eriksson admitted that Vietnam is a very strong opponent. However, the strategist affirmed that he and his players will play their best to create a surprise in the second leg.

Philippines coach: "Vietnam is the strongest opponent in AFF Cup". Photo: QT

Coach Eriksson said: "We faced a very strong team. They were the strongest opponents ever, they were very well organised. However, there were times when we played better than them. If you want to beat Vietnam, you cannot lose.

It is very difficult to beat top teams when conceding goals so easily. Vietnam's strikers always know how to get behind our defenders. However, we were the only team to score against Vietnam. With the way we played in the first half, I think we can beat them away from home. Anyway, in the second leg, we will play like we have nothing to lose and try to win."

The 2-1 victory at home by the Philippines gives Coach Park Hang-seo and his team a big advantage ahead of the second leg of the semi-final. The second leg of the semi-final will take place at 7:30 p.m. on December 6 at My Dinh Stadium.

As long as the opponent does not score, the Vietnamese team will certainly qualify for the final match. The Philippines team can only turn the tables if they beat Vietnam with more than 2 away goals./.

"Song Duc" scored, Vietnam national team defeated Philippines right on away field

(Baonghean.vn) - Although the opponent leveled the score at 1-1 before the end of the first half, the brilliance of Trong Hoang and the exquisite finishing ability of Phan Van Duc helped the Vietnamese team create a big advantage before returning to My Dinh Stadium to play the second leg of the AFF Cup 2018 semi-final against the Philippines.