New secrets "revealed" about Vietnam Olympics

Why was Cong Phuong absent from the bronze medal match?

This is the question that not only Vietnamese football fans but Cong Phuong himself wondered after the defeat against Olympic UAE in the bronze medal match of the 2018 Asian Games (ASIAD).

"The day after that match, Cong Phuong asked me to ask coach Park Hang-seo why he was not used. The answer surprised both Cong Phuong and me. The reason came from Cong Phuong himself, not from the coaching staff" - Mr. Le Huy Khoa shared in the talk show.

According to the explanation from Coach Park Hang-seo's language assistant, the Korean coach pays great attention to details and has a different perspective, sometimes making it difficult for people around him to understand: "Foreign coaches always have different training methods, we can't fully understand them. Mr. Park Hang-seo is such a case.

During training sessions, he just wandered around, looking idle, even according to observers around, he didn't coach anything, only his assistants did. However, in fact, he was very "formidable", paying special attention to every detail. That is why Cong Phuong's attitude caused him to not play a single minute against UAE."

Mr. Khoa continued: "In the last training session to prepare for the bronze medal match, coach Park Hang-seo noticed that Cong Phuong always kicked the ball with his left foot, while the striker's dominant foot was his right foot. From then on, Mr. Park decided to put Phuong on the bench because he thought he had a sore right foot but was trying to hide it.

By the end of the ASIAD, when Phuong asked Coach Park, he himself was surprised. It turned out that he had "loosened his leg" in the last training session just because he wanted to protect his right leg, causing the head coach to misunderstand and think he was really hurt, so Phuong lost the chance to play. That will be a lesson for the whole team, not just Cong Phuong in the future" - Master Le Huy Khoa explained.

Cong Phuong (third from right) was not used in the bronze medal match. Photo: Anh Duc

Xuan Truong forgot his lesson

Surrounding the topic of U23 and Vietnam Olympics, one thing that makes fans and the press worried is the case of Luong Xuan Truong, the midfielder who had a bad ASIAD.

According to Mr. Le Huy Khoa, Xuan Truong's problem lies in adapting: "Xuan Truong played very well in the U23 Asian tournament at the beginning of the year, because at that time, he had just returned from Korea, and was getting used to the style of play in Gangwon, which had similarities with the style of play that coach Park Hang-seo applied to U23 Vietnam. However, when he returned to play for HAGL in the V-League, Xuan Truong returned to playing in a ball-keeping style. When he joined the Vietnam Olympic team at the ASIAD, he forgot the way he played at the beginning of the year, so he had problems adapting to coach Park's style of play."

According to Mr. Khoa, during the preparation for the upcoming AFF Cup, there was enough time for Xuan Truong to get used to the playing style proposed by coach Park Hang-seo, so adaptation was not a problem for him.

"Before returning to Korea to rest, Mr. Park told me to remind and encourage Xuan Truong and some players. I consider Xuan Truong a professional player, so regaining his form will not be a big problem. From the defeat in the bronze medal match to the next goals, Coach Park Hang-seo has a full plan to help Vietnamese football achieve the best results."

Author Le Huy Khoa (second from left) and reporter Huu Dung (right cover) on the sidelines of the talk show. Photo: Minh Ngoc

Aim to win the AFF Cup

Sharing in the talk show, Mr. Le Huy Khoa said that in the meeting between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the leaders of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, VFF, the Vietnamese team was assigned the task of winning the AFF Cup 2018.

"There will be about 45 players gathered to begin the screening process. Coach Park Hang-seo wants to prepare the most complete and complete force with the goal of surpassing all opponents, including Thailand, to win the championship" - Mr. Khoa said./.