Forward Nguyen Tien Linh and captain Que Ngoc Hai were on target as the Golden Star Warriors joined hosts United Arab Emirates, who trounced Indonesia 5-0 the same day, to officially knock Thailand and Malaysia out of the World Cup qualifying campaign with a game in hand.
“This was a really tiring game. It is not yet known what the final outcome will be as we still have one more game to go against the UAE. However, the freshly won three points have done a lot for us. If these points can help Vietnam advance to the last qualification round, as Vietnamese fans are hoping, then that is my honour,” Park said at a press conference after the match.
“I would like to thanks the players. They fought resiliently to the last minute to achieve this result,” the Korean coach stated.
Explaining his choices for the starting squad, Park said he had faced a lot of difficulties in designing the tactics to be used against the Malayan Tigers.
“I considered two formations, 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. We decided to play with two strikers and therefore chose the latter. In that formation, Trong Hoang was the most suitable as he could serve both attacking and defending. He had been rested from the Indonesian match, thus having better fitness than Van Thanh. In the end, he played a good game.”
In their last qualifying clash on June 15, Vietnam and the UAE will compete for the top spot in Group G. A draw will be enough for Park’s side to progress as group winners.
When asked about the UAE, the Vietnam coach said he did not have much time to properly research their playing style.
“I watched them play against Malaysia. We also met the UAE in the first leg. They are a strong opponent. We are currently leading Group G, but the UAE are the leading team in Asia regarding physical strength and skill. However, I think the Vietnamese team will maintain our tactics and win the game.”
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Que Ngoc Hai celebrates scoring the winner for Vietnam against Malaysia. (Photo: VFF)
Speaking at the press conference, Vietnam captain Que Ngoc Hai admitted the Malaysia meeting was a tough game, as the two sides had met a number of times previously in the Southeast Asian arena. However, he affirmed that in the most difficult moments, the entire Vietnamese squad united and fought strongly to the final whistle.
“Ahead of our departure for the campaign, Park said each of our wins would be a source of encouragement for the people at home in combating the pandemic. We did it throughout the two matches. I hope that today’s victory is like a vaccine dose against the pandemic for the Vietnamese people. I am very proud of the Vietnamese team,” Hai said.
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Park Hang-seo's Vietnamese side has come very close to a first-ever slot in the last round of the World Cup qualifiers.
