Coach Park Hang-seo (64) will play his last game as the Vietnamese national soccer team’s command tower. Coincidentally, the long-awaited final match that ended the 5 years and 4 months of companionship since taking office in September 2017 coincidentally won the ‘Southeast Asian World Cup’.
Vietnam, led by coach Park Hang-seo, clashes with Thailand in the second leg of the 2022 AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Mitsubishi Electric Cup final held at Tammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand on the 16th at 9:30 pm (Korean time). It is the final game that will determine the winner of the tournament after drawing 2-2 in the first leg home game earlier.
It is also the farewell stage for coach Park Hang-seo, who will put down the baton of the Vietnamese national team at the end of this tournament. Coach Park made it official early on that this tournament was the final journey leading the Vietnamese national team. It is truly a ‘last dance’.
Immediately after taking the Vietnamese baton, he caused the ‘Park Hang-seo Syndrome’ in Vietnam and Southeast Asian football. Starting with Vietnam’s AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U-23 Championship runner-up in 2018, the AFF Championship that year put Vietnam at the top of Southeast Asia’s strongest team in 10 years.메이저놀이터
In addition, he led Vietnam to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, won gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games in 2019 and 2021, and won the first ever victory in the final qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Director Park, who has been on a long journey, challenges the ‘beauty of the end’ through this competition. This tournament was the tournament where coach Park led the team to its first victory after taking office in Vietnam (then the Suzuki Cup), and it was also the tournament that made him a national hero in Vietnam. In the previous competition, where they were trying for two consecutive victories, they were unfortunately eliminated in the semifinals, but through this competition, they reached the final once again and seized the opportunity to challenge for the final championship.
It is a disadvantageous situation as they drew 2-2 in the first leg home game and the away goal rule applies. If there is a 0-0 or 1-1 draw in this match, Thailand who scored more away goals will be on top. However, the atmosphere is not bad as they scored a dramatic equalizer in the 43rd minute of the second half after trailing 1-2 in the last game.
Thailand, the final opponent, is the strongest team in Southeast Asia and the ‘defending champion’ who won the tournament the most times (six times). It has been 15 years since 2008 that Vietnam and Thailand clashed in the finals of the tournament, and at that time Vietnam rose to the top. Since the appointment of coach Park, Vietnam has been in a tight confrontation with Thailand with 1 win, 4 draws and 1 loss.
Ahead of the final game, coach Park Hang-seo said, “I always have the belief that Vietnam can beat Thailand. Some people are worried that it is an unfavorable situation, but we have come to win. We will give Vietnamese fans a victory.” revealed Vietnam VN Express said, “The ‘last episode’ of director Park Hang-seo, who has brought many honors to Vietnam over the past five years, will be held.”