Korean media asked coach Park Hang-seo about Quang Hai

"It's not easy to compare Quang Hai with his colleagues in Korea, but Vietnamese players have their own advantages", Coach Park Hang-seo shared at a press conference on the occasion of returning home for the holiday yesterday, February 8."I have only been in Vietnam for a short time, but it is enough to feel that Vietnamese players are strong in technique. Quang Hai has natural talent. But his body is small and he does not have the necessary weight. I do not think that is a problem, but I want the players to have more strength."

Quang Hai scored five goals at the AFC U23 Championship, just one behind Qatar's top scorer Almoez Ali. The midfielder from Hanoi was also awarded the Best Goal of the Tournament award for his superb free-kick in the final against Uzbekistan. "I discussed with assistant Lee Young-jin and thought that Quang Hai, like other players, could improve if they improve their physique and weight," the Korean coach added.

The secret to helping Vietnamese players have good physical strength in the recent U23 Asian Cup was also of interest to the Korean media. "We first solved the physical and nutritional problems. We measured the players' bodies and discovered that they were underweight. The strength of their right and left legs was also unbalanced. Their upper body strength was not up to standard," the coach born in 1959 shared. "To solve this problem, I asked the team doctor to increase protein in their meals. Improving upper body strength in a short time is not easy. The fitness assistant had the players practice about four to five sessions a week, lasting about 30 minutes. I don't think it's effective, but it can't be ignored."

At the U23 Asian Cup, Coach Park Hang-seo’s players had an impressive performance in both spirit and physical strength. The team defeated Australia, drew with Syria before overcoming Iraq and Qatar after a score chase that lasted until the penalty shootout. In the final match, Vietnam only fell to Uzbekistan by a goal conceded in the penultimate minute of the second extra time. However, this is still the highest title of Vietnamese football in a tournament of the Asian Football Confederation.

"When we returned to Vietnam and received a warm welcome, the pressure was even greater," coach Park Hang-seo added. "I discussed with assistant Lee Young-jin during the preparation for the tournament. There were many reasons for the players to trust the coaching staff, despite the language barrier between the two sides.I think I'm doing better both physically and mentally now than I did at the previous World Cup."