Football

Vietnamese players celebrate their second goal during the match against Malaysia in the Group B action of the AFF Cup on Tuesday in Hà Nội. VIệt Nam win 3-0. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Coach Park Hang-seo was pleased with Việt Nam's 3-0 victory over Malaysia, while Malaysian head coach Kim Pan-gon congratulated his compatriot on a well-deserved win in their Group B match in Hà Nội.

Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Quế Ngọc Hải and Nguyễn Hoàng Đức scored for Việt Nam, who are now top of Group B with six points.

“The year 2022 is going into the last days. I told my players that we needed a win as a goodbye to the year. I am happy that we made it. It is for the supporters," Park told reporters at the post-match briefing.

The South Korean tactician regretted the red card for his striker Nguyễn Văn Toàn who was sent off in the 33rd minute of the match.

“I felt regrettable for his bookings. But he was ten times over. His red card clearly affected the whole team's performance, but I think it was unintentional. I hope it will be a lesson for all; none of my players will make it again," he said.

Conversely, coach Kim said Việt Nam played better, and the hosts deserved all three points.

He said it was a tough match, and the Malaysian players tried their best, strictly following their game plan. Everything was under their control, but for the only mistake in the first half's corner kick that led to the opener for Việt Nam.

Kim said Malaysia could have won the game. He did not blame his players but would review the match to ensure good preparation against Singapore next week.

“We have no time to be sad. We will recover quickly and set up a plan for the next match against Singapore. Malaysia have many young players, and everything is still ahead," said Kim, who apologised to Malaysian fans for the defeat.

Midfielder Brendan Gan said Malaysia played well despite the loss. The team should be proud of their efforts against one of the strongest teams in the AFF Cup. "Malaysia will do better in the next matches."

Việt Nam team leaving for Singapore on Wednesday. They will face the hosts on Friday at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Photo thanhnien.vn

While Malaysia will rest on Friday, Việt Nam will play Singapore away.

Park and his players arrived in Singapore on Wednesday and will have two days to prepare for their third match.

Players trained for the first time on Wednesday's night.

The match will be held at the artificial grass Jalan Besar Stadium and live on VTV channels.

A win for the defending champions will put them through to the semi-finals as the group's winner.

"We have four games in the group round, and we have only played two so far. I want to focus on single matches; the players were asked to play match-by-match. As a head coach, I have to prepare the strongest line-up to have the best result," Park said.

Two teams are already guaranteed to be going home; Brunei in Group A and Laos in Group B. Both lost their opening three games and are marooned at the bottom of their groups.

In Group A, Thailand are on top with six points, followed by Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

In Group B, Việt Nam, Malaysia and Singapore all have six points, but Việt Nam are top on goal difference. Myanmar are in fourth without a point, and their chances of progressing are narrow. — VNS