“ Coach Kim Sang-sik told us three things: one is to be champions, two is to be champions, and three is to be champions, ” defender Pham Xuan Manh replied when asked if he was afraid of the Thai team.
The Vietnamese team has not had good results when facing Thailand in the past 5 years. In recent days, Thailand has made many "challenging" statements to the Vietnamese team. In the first leg, the "golden star warriors" welcomed their opponents at their home stadium in Viet Tri, Phu Tho province.
Coach Kim Sang-sik inspires his students.
Defender Pham Xuan Manh continued: “ I don’t look at the past, I only focus on the present and look towards the future. The whole team will play their best under the direction of the coaching staff. The team will try our best to start the new year for better Vietnamese football.
The Vietnamese team spent 10 days training in Korea very hard and achieved the goal of playing in the final with good results. The Thai team is a strong opponent, we have also faced them for many years. I myself set the goal of going on the field to win. We will listen to the coach's tactics and strategies to have favorable results .
Coach Ishii Masatada does not have his strongest squad as Ekanit Panya is not sure to be able to start, Suphanat Mueanta is not physically fit and Teerasak Poeiphimai is out due to injury.
On the contrary, the Vietnamese team will not have the services of Nguyen Van Toan and Ho Tan Tai due to injuries. Coach Kim Sang-sik has prepared many different tactical options to welcome the Thai team.
Meanwhile, midfielder Peeradol said that Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Doan Ngoc Tan are the most important pillars, creating connections between the lines for the Vietnamese team. The captain of the Thai team said that coach Kim Sang-sik's defense is much better than it was two years ago. On the contrary, the Thai team now has a mental advantage.
Mai Phuong
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