Vietnamese hero Van Toan: “There is no need to fear the RoK”

“Vietnam have made the semifinal, becoming one of the four strongest teams in Asia, so there is no need to be afraid of the Republic of Korea (RoK),” forward Nguyen Van Toan, the hero of Vietnam’s Olympic team in the Asian Games (Asiad) quarterfinal against Syria, said in a quick interview with Vietnam’s VnExpress online newspaper after the match.

Van Toan celebrates after scoring the decisive goal of the quarterfinal match. (Photo: vnexpress.net)
Van Toan celebrates after scoring the decisive goal of the quarterfinal match. (Photo: vnexpress.net)

The Hoang Anh Gia Lai striker came off the bench to score the solitary goal in extra time, helping Vietnam to overcome Syria to set up a semifinal clash with the reigning Asiad champions, the RoK, on August 29.

When being asked about his feeling after blasting his first goal for Vietnam in Asiad 2018, Toan said he was very happy to contribute to Vietnam’s triumph and fire the “yellow stars” into the Asiad semifinals for the first time in history.

“The goal helps relieve the pressure to score that I have suffered over the past days, while inspiring me and my teammates to confidently prepare for the upcoming encounter against the RoK, which promises to be extremely difficult,” he stated.

Van Toan celebrates with teammates after the match. (Photo: vnexpress.net)

The RoK side possesses a powerful attacking line with the presence of three 2018 World Cup participants, including Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min.

Talking about such a tough opponent, Toan stated that Vietnam and the RoK met in the group stage of the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, with Vietnam opening the scoring before losing 1-2 overall.

The upcoming meeting between the two teams will be very exciting, he said, affirming that the RoK side’s additional quality at the Asiad does matter at all and gives Vietnam even more motivation to fight.

The Vietnam-RoK semifinal clash will take place at the Pakansari Stadium in Pakansari, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia at 4pm on August 29.