Despite trailing by 1-0 throughout the first half, Park’s side still fought bravely and restored the balance after the break thanks to Nguyen Thanh Chung’s back header, before Nguyen Hoang Duc rounded off their emotional victory with a beautiful left-footed curler from long range in stoppage time.
“Today the players demonstrated the Vietnamese spirit. We conceded a goal in the first half but did not surrender. The whole team fought on and won the game. That is the Vietnamese spirit – Never give up. I would like to thank and congratulate the players,” Park told reporters after the Sunday match.
The Republic of Korea tactician also avoided commenting on the mistake committed by goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung that led to Vietnam’s unexpected first-half goal. According to him, the important thing was that Vietnam U22s had claimed the victory.
“To me, the coach should always be the person who take the optimal and last responsibility for what happens on the field. So, I do not want to mention an individual mistake here. The important thing is that Vietnam U22s were the victors.”
With the triumph, Vietnam U22s have extended their winning run to three games and continue to sit on top of the group, three points clear of Thailand and Indonesia. Next up for Park’s troops will be the fourth group match, against Singapore U22s, on December 3.
Addressing the press conference, Indonesia coach Indra Sjafri showed his ambition to beat the Vietnamese team if the two sides meet in the final of the 2019 SEA Games men’s football tournament.
To encourage the spirit of Vietnam U22s after their incredible comeback win against Indonesia, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has decided to award them a bonus of VND1 billion (US$43,000).
