At a pre-match press conference on Friday, the Korean coach said: "We understand the importance of the game tomorrow. We will not let the home fans be disappointed. The players played well in the first leg at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur under great pressure from over 80,000 Malaysian fans. Now we need bigger support from our home fans at My Dinh."
Park has led a Vietnamese team to a final match before (at the AFC U23 Champions earlier this year) and now he has the second chance to win a trophy with his players. He believes that the team can become champions at AFF Cup 2018 with the great support of the home fans at My Dinh.
With the first leg having ended in a 2-2 draw in Kuala Lumpur, the away goals and an expectant home crowd hand Vietnam the advantage back home in Hanoi. However, Park also admitted that there is also real pressure as they will play under the weight of fulfilling the hopes and dreams of a nation to be crowned as AFF Cup champions for the second time, after their maiden title a decade ago.
“On Saturday, we have a home match and whilst it’s helpful and a big motivation for the players to have such support, it can also be a burden to have that kind of expectation. So I will make sure to ask the players to be calm and control themselves,” Park stressed.
The 59-year-old confirmed that his 23 players are in top form and he fully believes in his players. "I think all the players are ready to play in every game. It was no surprise when I changed the starting lineup in the first leg.”
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Vietnamese striker Nguyen Anh Duc speaks during the pre-match press conference in Hanoi on December 14. (Photo: AFF Suzuki Cup)
Vietnam’s striker Nguyen Anh Duc said: "The match tomorrow will be very difficult. The players have considered each match in this year’s tournament as a final, and now we are really in the final.”
“In the first leg, we tied 2-2 against a tough Malaysia side. They will play with high motivation and spirit tomorrow, so we need to make sure that we put them under a lot of pressure,” the 33-year-old said. The veteran forward is Vietnam’s joint leading scorer with three goals to his name so far.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s coach Tan Cheng Hoe admitted that his team have a “mountain to climb” but they are highly motivated and confident that they can emerge on top.
As Malaysia welcome back a trio of defenders Shaymi Safari, Syazwan Andik and Aidil Zafuan who missed the first leg, Tan said that he will have his strongest starting 11 available and has urged his players to maintain focus and calm under the pressure from the stands at My Dinh.
The final return leg between hosts Vietnam and Malaysia will take place at 7:30 pm on December 15.
* Vietnam vs Malaysia: Opening the “gate of heaven”
* Football supporting also needs to be standard and civilised
* National squad practice under Hanoi’s 13°C cold, preparing for AFF Cup final return leg
