At noon today (January 4), coach Kim Sang-sik of the Vietnamese team and Ishii Masatada of the Thai team attended a press conference before the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final.
10:58: Coach Kim Sang-sik answers the press.
Reporter: How do you evaluate the performance of the Vietnamese team in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: I am satisfied with what happened but I hope the players forget about what happened in this match. I understand that tomorrow's match will be very difficult, Thailand will be much stronger. Tomorrow, we want to win and my goal is to win the championship with the Vietnamese team.
Reporter: What is the Vietnamese team preparing for tomorrow's match?
Player Chau Ngoc Quang: Not just me but the whole team is ready for tomorrow's match. This is a very important match for Vietnam. Tomorrow will be the last match of the tournament, the Vietnam team will fight to win.
Reporter: Is there any pressure on the Vietnamese team in tomorrow's match?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: In the first leg, we had the support of our home fans. Now we have to face the pressure from the Thai fans, who are playing at home. Anyway, we have the best preparation for tomorrow's match.
Reporter: What is the biggest challenge for the Vietnamese team in the knockout matches?
Player Chau Ngoc Quang: The difficulty is obvious, but not just in the knockout matches. But when we are on the field, we fight with all our might.
Reporter: How has your work been these past months?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: I've only been here for 6 months, and I've really started my job in the last 3 months. It wasn't easy for me to understand the players. However, we spent a month training together, training in Korea, and I got to know them better, how they play and how they live.
We talk to each other all the time, from the dining room, the medical room, to the training ground. The team and I have become much more connected, I think that is the biggest reason why we have had good results in the tournament this year.
Reporter: Many Vietnamese and Thai fans are interested in this match. The coaches of both sides are from Korea and Japan. What do you think?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: This is a match between two national teams, not between two clubs. I hope the players understand this and keep a strong will. We came to Thailand to win the championship.
Reporter: How difficult is the change from cold to hot weather for the Vietnamese team?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: The Vietnamese team is tired. But we have been practicing hard for more than a month before the tournament. We will try our best.
11:25: Vietnam ends press conference.
