AFC Asian Cup: One more goal would've been great

By Anh Khoa, Van Loc   January 16, 2019 | 05:28 pm PT
Vietnam coach Park was hoping for a slightly better result in their last group stage match.
Head coach Park speaks at a press conference at AFC Asian Cup 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Van Loc

Head coach Park speaks at a press conference at AFC Asian Cup 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Van Loc

In the last game of group D, Vietnam secured a 2-0 victory against Yemen. A 3-0 win would have seen the team advance to the next round, but Vietnam will now have to wait to know their fate from the results of other games.

"It would have been better if Vietnam had scored one more goal, because that would’ve taken us through the group stage. Now we will have to wait for the results of the remaining matches in other groups," Park said.

"I hope for positive results in these games. However, if that doesn’t happen, I still want the fans to believe that Vietnamese football is on the right track," he added.

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai stayed positive.

"We’ve tried our best. We will watch the remaining games. As long as there’s a spark of hope left, we will never give up," said Hai, who opened the scoreboard with a brilliant free kick.

Yemen coach Jan Kocian said Vietnam won without creating many chances.

"They didn’t have many chances to score today, even when we played offensive in the second half. I found this was a great game. My players played much better than the last two games, but a 0-2 loss is an unexpected result," Kocian said.

Vietnam is currently placed third among the third-placed teams at the group stage. As the top four third-place teams can go futher, Vietnam will advance to the round of 16 if this position stays the same after the remaining matches.

 
 
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