Vietnam, tomorrow, the 16th AFF Cup final
The opponent’s record is tight with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss.
Thailand, a traditional Southeast Asian powerhouse, clashed with Vietnam national football team coach Park Hang-seo’s “Last Dance”.
The Vietnam national team will play the first leg of the 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup Final against Thailand at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam at 21:30 on the 13th (Korean time). Then, on the 16th at 21:30, the second leg of the away match will be played in Thailand and the winning team will be determined by the total points of the first leg and the second leg. If the total score is tied, an overtime will be played.
Director Park, lay down the baton after the tournament
Coach Park steps down the Vietnam national team baton after this tournament. Vietnam has emerged as a strong player in the region under coach Park, who took charge in September 2017. Notably, after winning the Suzuki Cup (now Mitsubishi Cup) in 2018, Vietnam has reigned as the most forte of Southeast Asian football.
Since then, Vietnam has been on the rise, advancing to the final Asian qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It was the first time Vietnam reached the World Cup Finals. Coach Park and Vietnam will reassert their status as “the strongest in Southeast Asia” by winning the Mitsubishi Cup and are about to end their five-year partnership.
In a press conference after advancing to the finals, coach Park also expressed great confidence, saying, “Vietnamese players are a cut above other Southeast Asian teams.”
● Vietnamese “Shield” vs Thai “Spear”.
However, Thailand, who we will meet in the final, is a traditional Southeast Asian power that has won the Mitsubishi Cup six times, the most. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Thailand was the most powerful country in Southeast Asia before the rise of Vietnam. Even after the launch of Park Hang-Seo, it is difficult to say that Vietnam has a clear advantage over Thailand. In fact, looking at the balance of the direct matches of the National A team, Vietnam and Thailand are close with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat after the appointment of Park as coach.
The Mitsubishi Cup Final is quite literally a battle between spear and shield. Thailand scored 13 goals, their most in the group stage, and scored 3 goals against Malaysia in the semi-finals.
On the other hand, Vietnam, the only goalless team in this tournament, has a strong defensive organization and quick attacks. Also, the fact that they were given an extra day off because they played the semi-finals first is beneficial to Vietnam.
Reporter Kim Dong Hyun
