Star midfielder Quang Hai (C) striving to regain his best form after recovering from an injury during the recent 2019 SEA Games. (Photo: VFF)
On Thursday afternoon (Dec 26), star midfielder Quang Hai told reporters about the goals for Vietnam U23s at the upcoming biennial competition. The team are on a week-long training camp in Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for the Thailand-based tournament, scheduled to take place between January 8-26 next year.
"The whole team will focus on each match to get the best results. We have not set high goals to avoid putting pressure on ourselves. It is important for us to keep trying to win every game," Quang Hai said as quoted from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF)’s website.
According to him, all opponents at the continental tournament are strong. At the upcoming tournament, the reigning runners-up are in Group D with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Jordan and UAE. The coaching staff will carefully research and develop plans for the team in Thailand, Hai said, adding that on the side of the players, they would keep their highest concentration and comply with the tactics set by coach Park Hang-seo.
“The team has regained energy after the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. We have been prepared for the AFC U23 tournament. The whole team will try hard in every match to get the best results,” Quang Hai reaffirmed.
Vietnamese U23 players during their training camp in Ho Chi Minh City on December 26, 2019. (Photo: VFF)
He also said he has fully recovered from an injury during the recent SEA Games in the Philippines and returned to normal training. Hai asserted that he did not face much pressure in the upcoming tournament since he always has the support of his teammates.However, the Thai tournament may be the last for the 1997-born at the international youth level, while it is also special as it acts as the Asian qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For that reason, Quang Hai has expressed his determination: “The whole team are trying our best. I myself also always try my best whenever I am given the opportunity to play on the field.”
Hai and his teammates entered their second training session in HCM City on Thursday, after returning home from a 10-day training camp in the Republic of Korea earlier this month. At the training session yesterday afternoon, excluding midfielder Thanh Thinh who still has to practice separately under the guidance of the team’s doctor Choi Ju-young, all the other players in the 28-man squad were in full training with excitement. The official 23-member list to compete at the AFC U23 Championship next year still has not yet been decided, so the competition for a place in the final roster will be very fierce.
Vietnam U23s will play a friendly with V.League 1 side Becamex Binh Duong on December 28 and the coaching staff will then likely shorten the 28-member list before leaving for Thailand on January 1, 2020.
