Coach Park and the yellow card touched the hearts of the fans.

The battle at Thammasat Stadium

Before the match, midfielder Chanathip stated that "Vietnamese players often play aggressively." However, in reality, on the Thammasat Stadium pitch, the home team's players were the ones who excelled in this aspect.

According to statistics, Thailand committed 12 fouls, while Vietnam committed 8. Football expert Vu Manh Hai commented: "I think it's more accurate to call this a battle than a match. That is, the teams were fighting each other, not competing in terms of tactics or technique."

In the first half, the Qatari referee overlooked Theerathon's powerful handball to Trong Hoang's face. The left-back, who plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1-League, acted unsportsmanlikely when, while running, he "accidentally" swung his arm and hit Hoang directly in the mouth, causing him to fall to the ground clutching his face in pain.

Defender Que Ngoc Hai participating in an attack, fiercely contesting for the ball in the air. Photo: Trung Kien.

Throughout the match, Duy Mạnh, Quang Hải, and Tuấn Anh were fouled brutally many times, but for some reason, referee Al Adba did not issue any cards. Most notably, in the 85th minute, during a quick counter-attack, Công Phượng was fouled by defender Tristian Đỗ, but still no card was shown.

To counter the quick, intricate, and skillful play of the Vietnamese players, coach Akira Nishino deployed a large number of players in the midfield. This was the first time the Thai national team played with a "false striker" strategy, starting with a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond-shaped midfield, but at times the home team had as many as six midfielders in the central area.

Furthermore, Akira Nishino advocated for an aggressive style of play, deliberately committing fouls in the midfield to prevent Quang Hai and Van Toan from accelerating. The opposing team had thoroughly studied Vietnam's playing style, and the two false strikers, Thitipan and Supachok, along with attacking midfielder Chanathip (at the top of the diamond formation), also participated in intercepting the ball and defending in Vietnam's half.

It wasn't until the 89th minute that Kesarat received a yellow card, and that was the only time Thailand was shown a yellow card by the referee. The Qatari referee officiated the match quite accurately but was lenient towards players from both sides, especially the home team, Thailand. Frankly, the Vietnamese players didn't stand idly by while the home team did whatever they wanted, but the level of leniency was still acceptable.

The teacher's feelings behind the ID card.

The incident that led to Park Hang-seo receiving a yellow card from referee Al Adba at the end of the match stemmed from Bui Tien Dung's foul on Chanathip Songkrasin. The "Thai Messi," who plays in the J1 League, was very cunning; before falling to the ground, he managed to swing his arm and strike the Vietnamese defender directly in the face.

The incident occurred in front of the two teams' technical areas. To protect his players, Akira Nishino and the Thai national team's interpreter immediately stormed onto the field to argue with the referee. Seeing Bui Tien Dung clutching his face in pain and witnessing the reaction of the Thai coaching staff, Coach Park also lost his temper on the sidelines and consequently received a yellow card from the Qatari referee.

The reaction resulted in Mr. Park receiving a yellow card. Photo: Trung Kien

After the match, according to the coach, when he came to work in Vietnam, he tried to control his emotions and be more "calm": "Previously in Korea, I received yellow cards and was sent off quite a few times, so the yellow card in the match against Thailand was nothing compared to that. I couldn't stand idly by and watch the referee be so indifferent when the Thai players committed blatant fouls."

This wasn't the first match where the South Korean coach reacted in a way that was deemed "excessive" when his players were fouled.King's CupThis incident took place in Thailand in June 2019, and he had experienced similar situations on numerous occasions when Thai players, specifically the incident where Thitipan made a rough tackle on Van Hau, committed similar fouls.

Disciplining players and coaches correctly and unfairly during a match is the referee's job, but the actions and words of the South Korean coach have touched the hearts of millions of Vietnamese fans. It's been a long time since we've had a coach who is so professionally competent and wholeheartedly dedicated to his players!