Coach Popov said something positive about his opponent, Myanmar.

Thanh Hoa FC's opponent in the opening match of Group A is Shan United FC from Myanmar. Having previously worked with Myanmar football before coaching in the V-League in Vietnam, Coach Popov was excited to meet players he knew well. The Bulgarian coach also frankly admitted that Thanh Hoa FC, despite playing at home, would face many difficulties. "In reality, we are at a disadvantage because we are currently focusing on improving our fitness in preparation for the V-League. Meanwhile, Shan United has the advantage as their national league has already started and their players are in better form. Nevertheless, we will try our best to achieve the best possible result," Coach Popov assessed.

Coach Popov (right) and Quoc Phuong attend the press conference before the opening match of the Southeast Asian Club Championship.

Attending the press conference alongside head coach Popov, midfielder Le Quoc Phuong expressed his excitement at returning to the international arena after many years of absence. "Although we are currently in the physical and tactical preparation phase, we will always play according to the coach's philosophy and contribute with an attractive style of play, driven by a desire to win. This is our first home game, the start of the new season, so the whole team's morale is very high," Quoc Phuong shared.

On the other side of the pitch, Shan United's coach Myo Hlaing Win stated that the match against Thanh Hoa FC would be a difficult one for the Myanmar champions. "They have good players, and their head coach, Mr. Popov, is very experienced and knowledgeable about Myanmar football. I don't want to make any predictions about the outcome because anything can happen in football. We will focus on our work and hope for a good result," Coach Myo Hlaing Win commented.

Thanh Hoa FC aims for victory in the opening match.

The match between Dong A Thanh Hoa FC and Shan United FC will take place at 6 PM today (August 21st) at Thanh Hoa Stadium. In Group A, besides Shan United, Thanh Hoa FC also faces challenges from BG Pathum United (Thailand), Terengganu FC (Malaysia), PSM Makassar FC (Indonesia), and Svay Rieng (Cambodia).

In the group stage, teams will play a round-robin format to determine rankings. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-clb-thanh-hoa-hom-nay-hlv-popov-noi-dieu-hay-ho-ve-doi-thu-myanmar-185240821074206762.htm