* AFF Cup: Vietnam held to goalless draw by Myanmar
After the first three matchups, Vietnam have won seven points and currently stand second in Group A, behind Myanmar. Meeting Cambodia at Hanoi’s Hang Day stadium tomorrow night, the “yellow stars” will only need a draw to book a place in the knockout stage.
However, when talking to the media this morning, Park emphasised that Vietnam will be determined to beat their opponents to advance as group leaders. “Of course, our goal is to win the match to secure top spot in Group A. I have encouraged my players to fight to realise the set target.”
Despite Vietnam’s multiple advantages ahead of the meeting, the 59-year-old tactician stated that he has yet to consider the team’s upcoming semifinal opponents. “I think it is not appropriate to talk about the semifinal clash as the group stage still has one game to go. We will place our main focus on tomorrow’s game against Cambodia, before making further calculations.”
Cambodia will head into the last group match without head coach Keisuke Honda, who has returned to Australia to play for Melbourne Victory FC in A-League. However, Park Hang-seo still gave high appreciation to Vietnam’s opponents on Saturday, warning his players to maintain their concentration during the entire match, as already disqualified Cambodia have nothing to lose and will start the game without any pressure.
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Vietnam (in white) wasted many opportunities to score during their third Group A match against Myanmar on November 20.
“I am aware that Honda is a player with great personality in Asia, and is also a great influence on the Cambodian players. Despite not giving direct instructions, he has remained in contact with the team. It will be a difficult clash for us tomorrow. I would like to repeat that Vietnam will want to win the match, while Cambodia will play with a very comfortable spirit.”
Concluding his speech, Park said he was not as satisfied with how the Vietnamese players performed during the first half of the away match at Myanmar, stating that the “yellow stars” missed a lot of opportunities to score and will have to improve a lot if they wish to advance further in this year’s tournament.
The last Group A match between Vietnam and Cambodia will take place at Hanoi’s Hang Day stadium at 7.30pm on November 24. Meanwhile, Malaysia will host Myanmar in a must-win match at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur to seize a ticket to the semifinals.
