"We are not in the best performance, one of them is due to fatigue," Park said after the match against Bahrain U-23 national team in the Patriot Chandrabaga Stadium, Bekasi, West Java, Thursday.
This caused the South Korean coach to thank his foster children.
The Vietnamese players are considered good and patient, so they can score in the 88th minute made by midfielder Nguyen Cong Phuong.
"Hopefully our conditions will improve and become more fit in the next matches," said Park.
Regarding the match, Park admitted that he had to make formations when Bahraini midfielder Ahmed Sanad was sent off in the 42nd minute after getting a straight red card for violating Do Duy Manh.
He said the exit of an opposing player made Vietnam change the formation from 3-4-3 to 4-4-2. This is where Nguyen Cong Phuong entered from the bench and finally made a change.
"Cong Phuong is indeed one of our key players even though he did not play from the start. As for the referee`s decision, I did not want to comment," said Park.
Vietnam`s U-23 national team made history at the Asian Games after qualifying for the men`s soccer quarterfinals for the first time in history after beating Bahrain 1-0 at the last 16 of the 2018 Asian Games on Thursday.
Sweet notes that were inscribed in the Patriot Chandrabaga Stadium, Bekasi, West Java were realized thanks to the goal of substitute Nguyen Cong Phuong in the 88th minute.
Previously, Vietnam`s U-23 national team had not advanced to the last eight of men`s football since the 2002 Asian Games, the first Asian Games to implement the U-23 rule in men`s football.
The achievement was never felt by the senior Vietnamese national team since their first appearance at the men`s soccer group stage in 1998.
For information, before the 1978 Asian Games, Vietnam had participated in the Asian Games but under the name of South Vietnam, where at the 1958 Asian Games, South Vietnam also made it into the quarter-finals and won fourth place at the 1962 Asian Games.
In the 2018 Asian Games quarterfinals, Vietnam`s U-23 national team will face Syria`s U-23 national team in a match held Sunday at the Patriot Chandrabaga Stadium, Bekasi, West Java. *** 4 ***
Reporting by Michael Siahaan
Editing by Eliswan Azly
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
