Preview – Group C: Thailand v Vietnam

“I want to congratulate Vietnam for winning the SEA Games, they performed well,” said Worrawoot who assisted Mano Polking in the regional tournament. “But for us, 70 percent of our squad is different from the SEA Games squad. So our preparations have been different, and so will our approach.

“As you can see from our squad in this tournament, we have a mix of local and European-based players. This team will be the future of the Thailand senior national team.

“This is the best possible squad we have for this generation. We are ready to start our first match of the tournament. The players are hungry to perform well and win this tournament.”

“I consider Vietnam as one of the best teams in ASEAN. It doesn’t matter whether the coach is from Vietnam or Korea Republic, the players are all still from Vietnam, and they have quality players.

“I believe Thailand and Vietnam are equal in terms of ability. This will definitely not be an easy match, but we respect Vietnam since they were runners-up in this tournament. However, we are prepared to get one or even three points from Vietnam.”

Vietnam head coach Gong may be new to his role, but he is no stranger to the team having assisted Park in the 2018 edition as well as the recent SEA Games.

Gong admitted there is mounting pressure on him and his players to excel in the tournament, but is hopeful that this current generation can surpass their seniors in time.

“There is pressure, but I know that the players have been trying their best in the training sessions and following our instructions,” said Gong.

“Four years ago, that Vietnam generation was really strong, and this generation is not too far off. But I’m sure that these players’ abilities will develop in a year or two.

“I assisted head coach Park Hang-seo in the SEA Games, but now as head coach of the U-23 team, I am focusing on the formation and tactical plans that the players are already used to.”

Gong further revealed that his charges haven’t had much time to rest since the end of the SEA Games, and although Vietnam will be confident of their chances in the rematch against Thailand, the Korea Republic native is fully aware that the current Thailand team pose a different threat altogether.

“Our team is a bit fatigued after playing in the SEA Games, and we’ve been focusing on recovery.

“Thailand have changed a lot of players, but I trust in our own players. Thailand’s players are very talented and are good technically as well. The head coach is also different from the SEA Games, so they might have a different play style.”