Vietnamese players in action during the Tuesday training session. (Photo: Vietnam Football Federation)

Evaluating the two Group G opponents, Park showed special respect for them, stating that playing on home turf is not really an advantage for Vietnam.

“The UAE and Thailand are strong teams. They have ambitions to compete for the group’s top spot. We have the home-field advantage, but this simultaneously places psychological burden on the players. The entire squad must try to be well-prepared,” the Republic of Korean tactician said on Tuesday.

In preparation for the campaign, together with the players called up in the previous camp, Park has given the opportunity to two new faces, midfielder Le Van Dai (Thanh Hoa FC) and forward Ngan Van Dai (Hanoi FC).

In addition, Ha Minh Tuan and Ngo Hoang Thinh, who missed the squad in October due to injuries, have also been summoned.

However, forward Nguyen Tien Linh has not made the national team’s summoned list, as he has been moved to the Vietnam U22 squad for the SEA Games mission.

When asked about the outstanding Vietnamese players who will possibly be honoured at the AFF Awards Night 2019 in Hanoi on November 8, Park said: “In my opinion, to be fair, I will choose the whole Vietnamese team.

Dang Van Lam, Que Ngoc Hai and Nguyen Quang Hai are the three nominees. They represent the team and those who have won the AFF Cup trophy. I think any Vietnamese player winning the award is deserved”.

Commenting on Vietnam U22’s grouping at the 30th SEA Games, which gathers Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and Laos, Park said this is a tough group for his side.

“The draw results truly reflect our worries. Vietnam have been placed in the group of six teams and will have to play five games. Not to mention that Vietnam U22s are in the same group as Thailand, Indonesia and some other strong teams. It is a real burden to play one game more than those in Group A. We will have to play a match every two days, which is clearly a disadvantage compared to the other group”.

According to the 30th SEA Games men’s football regulations, each team will be allowed to register a maximum of two players aged over 22.

When asked about the criteria to select these two players for the Vietnam U22 squad, Park said: “We are allowed to register only 20 athletes, including two goalkeepers, which means there will remain just 18 players. Therefore I will prioritise the players in the positions where Vietnam U22s are the weakest. In addition, it is important that they can play many positions on the field, at least two positions. I intend to take a player from the national team to supplement Vietnam U22s, and that player must have a good recovery speed”.

In the Tuesday training session, the Vietnam national team did not have their full squad as some players must attend the V.League relegation play-off match on October 29 and the National Cup final on October 31.

In addition, the three players playing overseas, including Nguyen Cong Phuong (Sint-Truidense), Dang Van Lam (Muangthong United) and Doan Van Hau (SC Heerenveen), have also yet to be freed by their managing clubs. Nhan Dan