AFF Cup 2018 first leg final: What did coach Park and Malaysian coach say before the match?

Representatives of the two strongest teams of AFF Cup 2018 took a photo with the championship trophy. Photo: Trung Kien

At the press conference, coach Tan Cheng Hoe admitted that some of Malaysia's key players are still doubtful of playing tomorrow. In addition to right-back Syahmi Safari, who is absent due to suspension, central defender Aidil Zafuan and captain Zaquan Radzak are suffering from minor injuries. It was not until this afternoon's training session that the health status of these players was confirmed.

Coach Tan Cheng Hoe is wary of Vietnam: "Against Vietnam, Malaysia needs to be careful with their counter-attacking style to avoid conceding early goals. This will be an interesting challenge." Coach Tan Cheng Hoe highly appreciated Vietnam's strength: "We made many mistakes, while they played very well in the group stage match. But in Bukit Jalil, it is not easy for young Vietnamese players to play under the pressure of Malaysian fans."

Coach Tan Chang Hoe is wary of Vietnam's attack. Photo: Trung Kien

On the other hand, the 50-year-old strategist also expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of his coach Rajagopal - the coach who led Malaysia to the 2009 SEA Games and 2010 AFF Cup titles: "I want to achieve success like coach Rajagopal. But Malaysia is now different from the past with a more modern and attacking style of play."

Besides, the 50-year-old strategist also encouraged his students to try to win and emphasized an interesting statistic in 2010: The team that won the first leg at home would win the AFF Cup.

"Since 2010, the team that wins the first leg at home will be the champion. Therefore, I have encouraged the players to try to take advantage of home ground to achieve good results tomorrow. Playing at home is always pressure, but consider it as motivation to overcome yourself. I always want the young players to feel comfortable before each match."

"Wizard" Tan Cheng Hoe sees Vietnam's weaknesses: "They have good individuals, and are a strong team. But I have seen their weaknesses. We are preparing very seriously and are confident that we can fully exploit their weaknesses," coach Tan Cheng Hoe said meaningfully when asked by reporters to evaluate the strength of the Vietnam team.

On the Vietnamese team's side, coach Park Hang-seo said: "This is the final match after 10 years for the Vietnamese team, so the upcoming match is very special. Because it is the final match, it is very difficult but we will try to get the best result."

"Playing away is always difficult, especially in Malaysia. However, I have found a way to help the players stay focused and try to communicate with each other in this passionate atmosphere," Coach Park Hang-seo is quite confident even though the Vietnamese team will have to play under the pressure of nearly 100,000 Malaysian fans.

Coach Park Hang-seo at a press conference in Malaysia. Photo: Trung Kien

Coach Park also did not hesitate to face other difficulties such as young players or having to play away: "Vietnam has gathered quite a lot of young players, sometimes it is inevitable to feel stressed when having to play in a stadium with many spectators. I spent time talking to them during training sessions. Besides, Vietnam also has experience playing in harsh conditions, so slippery fields and wet balls do not affect us too much."

“Malaysia has made very different changes compared to the group stage match against Vietnam. In my opinion, this is a team with a good technical foundation. And the fact that we beat Malaysia 2-0 in the group stage has given us a lot more confidence,” coach Park Hang-seo affirmed.

When a Malaysian reporter asked: "Do you want a draw or a win in the next match?", the Korean strategist answered very quickly and smiled: "I don't want to answer this question of yours."

AFF Cup 2018: Malaysian reporter points out the difference of coach Park Hang-seo

(Baonghean.vn)- In Kuala Lumpur, Nghe An Newspaper reporter had an interview with Keeshaanan Sundaresan of Fox Sports - a famous Asian sports magazine about Vietnamese football and the Vietnamese national team at AFF Cup 2018.

Trung Kien