Forward Nham Manh Dung was the star of the show, scoring a late winner with a few minutes to go to steer the Vietnamese team to the overall victory.
“SEA Games is a tournament that means a lot to me. Three years ago, I and my players quenched Vietnam’s 60-year thirst for the SEA Games gold medal. This year, Vietnam is the host country of the Games, and I know that the Vietnamese people hold high expectations for this gold medal,” Park told reporters during a press briefing after the match.
“The players have always tried their best. As the head coach of the Vietnamese team, I am fully aware of my responsibility for this mission. Sometimes I got stressed with this goal,” he added.
The Korean tactician extended his gratitude to the Vietnamese people, Party and relevant agencies for their support, while thanking the players for fighting their best and the coaching staff for their hard work to contribute to such success.
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The Vietnamese team pose with the gold medal after winning the SEA Games final match against Thailand. (Photo: NDO/Thanh Dat)
After the 31st SEA Games campaign, Park will quit as coach of the Vietnam U23 team to focus on the national team. “This is my last tournament as coach of the U23 squad. After the SEA Games, I will no longer be in charge of the team,” he said.
“As scheduled, the national team will reconvene on May 25. We will fly to Ho Chi Minh City on May 28 to prepare for the clash against Afghanistan on June 1. Late this year, I will coach the national team in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2022. We failed in the tournament last year, so the upcoming competition means a lot to me and my players. We will work hard to achieve the best results,” Park added.
Commenting on the new coach of the Vietnam U23 team, Gong Oh-kyun, he said: “Gong is a good coach. Each coach will have different tactics, football philosophy, as well as a different way of operating and managing the team. I do not know how Vietnam U23s will change in the near future. But I think that the young players do not have much space to prove capabilities in recent times, so the upcoming 2022 AFC U23 Championship will be the opportunity for them to show off themselves.”
