Coach Park Hang-seo and Vietnamese players in training in Singapore on December 2
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the opening of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020, the Korean coach said that the team's consecutive losses in the third qualifying round of the World Cup are sure to affect the team's mentality, adding that the pressure of being the champion in the AFF Cup 2020 is also a problem.
According to the coach, there are strong teams at both Groups A and B, but the Vietnamese players will strive to get the best results, right from the opening match against the Laos team on December 6.
Meanwhile, Singapore's newspaper The Straits Times said Vietnam has the opportunity to maintain the throne at this year's tournament, highlighting the miraculous development of the Vietnamese team in the past 15 years.
In December 2006, Vietnamese football hit its nadir when the national team slumped to 172nd in the world rankings. Ranked 99th now, they are the only ASEAN team in the top 100 and the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
The newspaper said although the Vietnamese team have lost all their matches in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, they proved hard to beat and never lost by more than two goals.
It said thanks to competing with Asia’s elite, Vietnam fans expect their team to retain their Suzuki Cup title.
For this Suzuki Cup, the Vietnamese team is drawn into Group B where they will play Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia at the Bishan Stadium.
