The Philippines coach compares the atmosphere of the AFF Cup to that of the UEFA Champions League.

Coach Eriksson: "The AFF Cup brings the atmosphere of the Champions League."

"I was very nervous walking into the auditorium filled with reporters. The accommodation here is good. I didn't come here for tourism; as long as we have the chance, we will try to turn the tide. Tomorrow we will be determined to give it our all," Coach Eriksson began his speech.

The two strategists shake hands before their rematch at My Dinh Stadium. Photo: Trung Kien.

Regarding the squad, the coach said: "In my career, I've never had so few players (only 18 players came to Vietnam for the second leg of the semi-final). However, for me, 18 players is more than enough. We will play offensively from the start, hoping to score early to gain a psychological advantage. But the Vietnamese team is in good form, hopefully we won't concede any goals."

With a large number of reporters, especially foreign journalists, in the press conference room, Coach Eriksson was surprised: "The atmosphere today reminds me of the UEFA Champions League. But we are determined to show the reporters here our capabilities and those of the entire Philippine team." Regarding the question of whether he would consider being invited to coach the Vietnamese national team someday, Coach Eriksson said he would consider it.

Coach Park Hang-seo warns his players.

"First, the team would like to thank the fans for their support and encouragement. In the first leg, the players performed very well, but my players and I always remember the lesson from the 2014 AFF Cup defeat when Vietnam lost to Malaysia. We hope the Vietnamese national team will keep their feet on the ground to achieve a good result tomorrow. We are working hard and training diligently. We will do everything for the fans tomorrow," Coach Park Hang-seo began.

Coach Park Hang-seo at the press conference before the second leg of the 2018 AFF Cup semi-final. Photo: Trung Kien

A South Korean reporter asked about Coach Park's feelings regarding the support and attention he received from fans back home after his successes in Vietnam. "I am very happy and grateful that the South Korean people have always followed me and the Vietnamese national team. I am a little overwhelmed by that. I will be determined to play my best with the Vietnamese national team."

Good news for fans regarding Van Toan: Coach Park Hang-seo revealed, "From this afternoon, Van Toan will return to training with the whole team. His injury is not serious. Midfielder Hung Dung has a muscle strain in his back, but it's not a problem."

The Vietnamese national team will have another training session this afternoon at My Dinh Stadium. Photo: TK

Coach Park is not intimidated by the Philippines' aggressive style of play: "Football is a contact sport, so collisions are unavoidable. But we have rules to protect ourselves. I admit the Philippines have better physiques, but Vietnamese players are cunning and have good tactical thinking. I told the players that if they are alert and clear-headed, they can win. In training sessions, I also had my players practice a few moves to counter the opponent's overly aggressive style of play."

Striker Ha Duc Chinh, chosen to attend the press conference with coach Park, confidently replied: "The whole team is working hard in training. Coach Park keeps the team's spirit high and doesn't forget to remind the players of the memories of 2014 (winning 2-1 against Malaysia in the first leg but losing 2-4 at My Dinh Stadium)." "I've waited quite a long time, since 2017, for the opportunity to play for the national team and score goals. This year's AFF Cup, after 5 matches, I finally got to play, so I was a little impatient in my finishing. I'm very happy to be able to fight for the national team."

The Philippine captain evokes fond memories at My Dinh Stadium.

Captain Phil Younghusband is the Philippines' greatest hope. Photo: TK

"This return is quite special. I'm a little nervous knowing that Vietnam will have the support of their home fans. We have good memories at My Dinh Stadium (we've beaten Vietnam before). I hope tomorrow will be a good match for the Philippines," emphasized star Phil Younghusband.

Regarding Vietnam conceding the first goal, Younghusband said: "It's difficult to say that the Philippines' goal in the first leg was a mistake by the Vietnamese defense. Throughout the tournament, Vietnam's defense has worked very well. That goal came from a good attacking move by the Philippines. My teammate inside the box positioned himself well and finished very well after my cross."

The AFF Cup semi-final and the story of "destiny"

(Baonghean.vn) - To date, in all the AFF Cup tournaments, the Vietnamese national team is the only team to have lost the advantage of winning the first leg of the semi-final, thus missing out on a ticket to the final. Notably, in the 2014 AFF Cup, Coach T. Miura's team won 2-1 away against Malaysia in the first leg but ultimately lost 4-5.