Lao national team coach Ha Hyeok-jun praised the strength of Vietnam’s national team following their 1-4 defeat in the opening match of the AFF Cup 2024.
“Vietnam is one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia, both in terms of individual players and overall tactics,” Coach Ha said after the match.
Lao put up a strong fight in the first half, holding Vietnam to a 0-0 draw. However, after the break, the defensive control of the Lao team broke down. Four consecutive goals from Hai Long, Tien Linh, Van Toan, and Van Vi helped Vietnam secure the win with a comprehensive 4-1 scoreline.
“The most impressive aspect of Vietnam is their physical strength. I believe this physical advantage could bring Vietnam closer to the level of countries like South Korea and Japan. With this team, if they continue to improve, they could become one of the strongest teams in Asia, just like Japan and South Korea,” Coach Ha added.
He acknowledged that his team had made good tactical preparations but faced limitations in execution. “We tried our best and learned a lot from this match. Since I arrived here four months ago, we haven’t had much time to work with the team. However, we knew how Vietnam played and had a plan. Yet, the physical limitations of the Lao players were evident.”
One of the key differences, according to Ha, was the drop in Laos’ physical condition in the second half, particularly between the 65th and 70th minutes, which affected their ability to maintain the intensity of the first half. “We tried to improve our fitness, but it wasn’t enough. The whole team needs to work harder,” he said.
Looking ahead to the second match on December 12, Lao will travel to Indonesia to face the host team, who won 1-0 against Myanmar in their opening match and are currently second in the standings.
“Indonesia is also a strong team. Tomorrow morning, we will embark on a long journey to Indonesia. I will focus on helping the players recover physically so they are comfortable for the match,” Coach Ha said confidently.
Leave a Reply