Football

HÀ NỘI — Kim Sang-sik and Albert Capellas Herms were in different moods after Việt Nam and the Philippines' 1-1 draw in Group B of the ASEAN Cup on December 18 in Manila.

Substitute Jarvey Gayoso pushed the hosts to the lead in the 68th minute, while Doãn Ngọc Tân scored his first-ever international goal for Việt Nam in injury time.

The draw maintained Việt Nam on top of the ranking table with seven points after three matches, and nearly secured their ticket to the semi-finals. Meanwhile with three points, the Philippines stand fourth and are on the verge of an early elimination.

Speaking at the post-match conference, Việt Nam coach Kim showed his confidence, confirming that the national team are on the right track to reach their target in this championship.

"It was a difficult match. We didn't have really threatening opportunities in the first half, and I regretted that a penalty decision for Việt Nam was cancelled. However, we worked hard in the second half and earned a valuable point. It means that the door to the semis is wide open for us," said Kim, who thanked his players for their non-stop effort.

Kim said a demanding competition schedule and the home-and-away format created challenges for his players, but they still delivered a good job. They also overcame a big problem, the unfamiliar artificial grass surface of the Rizal Memorial Stadium, to bring one point home.

"We still maintain our goal and would like to thank Vietnamese supporters for always accompanying and encouraging us," he added.

Captain Đỗ Duy Mạnh also took part in the briefing. He confirmed the difficulties that Việt Nam faced and said: “Playing on an away ground is never easy. The artificial grass surface prevented Việt Nam from playing well. But Vietnamese players struggled to score in the final minutes. It was an emotional goal for the team."

"We will have a discussion after this match to fix our problems and find the best solution for the next games. We are looking forward to a good result in all matches, especially when we play Myanmar in Việt Trì,” Mạnh added.

Việt Nam need only one point in their next game against Myanmar on December 21 to qualify for the semi-finals.

The team will also welcome strong reinforcements for the match. The nation's best scorer in history, Nguyễn Xuân Son, will be ready to play for the Vietnamese side after he fulfils all of the FIFA requirements to switch his international team allegiance on that day.

On the hosts' side, coach Capellas said his team should have won and that he was sad, feeling like their victory was stolen at the last minute.

He said the Philippines deserved to win all three games, adding that it was a lesson for them in how to effectively resolve the match.

The Spaniard confirmed that his players worked hard and were thirsty for a win, but the results were disappointing. Previously, the team had many opportunities against Myanmar, but scored only one. Against Laos, they met with many challenges due to the poor ground conditions. Meanwhile, he said his players lost control at the end of the Việt Nam game, which felt like a battle. In the final five minutes, his players were exhausted and could not hold onto their lead.

The Philippines are facing disqualification, but will move up if they can beat Indonesia away on December 21. VNS