Laos coach said something surprising about Tien Linh, declared he would 'force' Vietnam to share points

Laos will make the match difficult for the Vietnamese team.

Under the guidance of coach Ha Hyeok-jun, the Lao team has made many changes in both its lineup and playing style. The team has a core of young players, always playing with great spirit and desire, making it difficult for opponents every time they face each other. In the recent group stage of the AFF Cup 2024, the Lao team also made the Vietnamese team "sweat" to win 4-1.

However, when the two teams met in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, it was a completely different story. Having to play away against the number 1 seed Vietnam in the opening match was considered a difficult problem for coach Ha Hyeok-jun and his team. In the last 7 encounters, the Lao team lost all matches. More notably, right before the match against the Vietnamese team, Laos was not well prepared when they unexpectedly lost to Sri Lanka (ranked 200th in the world) in a friendly match.

Despite the difficulties, coach Ha Hyeok-jun still showed his determination: “We were shocked by the loss to Sri Lanka. Compared to the last AFF, the Laos team is not much different. We have to send the players back to their clubs and the Laos team only has about 10 days to prepare for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, the important thing is not winning or losing but the coaching staff can test the squad. Through that match, we can prepare for the match against the Vietnamese team.

Tomorrow's match, even though we don't know whether we will win or lose, we will try our best. The Laos team will not let the Vietnam team have an easy match. Laos' goal is to get 1 point."

HLV đội Lào nói điều bất ngờ về Tiến Linh, tuyên bố sẽ ‘bắt’ Việt Nam phải chia điểm- Ảnh 1. — Coach Ha Hyeok-jun declared that he will make the Vietnamese team face many difficulties.

Compared to the last meeting, the Lao team also had some changes in terms of force. The team of the land of a million elephants has 3 more naturalized players, including center back Victor Ngovinassack (playing for Is-Selongey Football Club, France), midfielder Roman Angot (SV Linx Club, Germany) and striker Theo Klein (Omaha Mavericks Club, USA).

Coach Ha Hyeok-jun commented: “With 3 Lao players, they do not have much time to practice with their teammates. The trio only arrived 2 days before the friendly match with Sri Lanka. Therefore, the players have not had much time to integrate. They need time to adapt, we are not in a hurry to evaluate.

For me, foreign players are not important. If we want the national team to develop, we must rely on players of Lao origin. I want many Lao players to be able to play in Korea, Thailand or Vietnam. That can help Laos become stronger like the Thai and Vietnamese national teams."

HLV đội Lào nói điều bất ngờ về Tiến Linh, tuyên bố sẽ ‘bắt’ Việt Nam phải chia điểm- Ảnh 2. — Coach Ha Hyeok-jun wants Lao players to be able to play in Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea.

Notably, to prepare for the match against the Vietnamese team, coach Ha Hyeok-jun had been to Vietnam to watch the match between Binh Duong Club and SLNA Club in round 14 of the 2024-2025 V-League (February 22). When asked about one of the most impressive players in the match - Tien Linh, the Korean coach commented: “Tien Linh is one of my favorite players in the Vietnamese team. I came here to see the field, the conditions and watch Tien Linh. He is currently one of the best players in the Vietnamese team”.

“Coach Kim Sang-sik and I have faced each other at the AFF Cup, he has a lot of potential. As for coaches, they will face doubts and need time to prove their ability. Mr. Kim Sang-sik will be able to bring more things to Vietnam in the future,” coach Ha Hyeok-jun shared more about his colleague Kim Sang-sik.

HLV đội Lào nói điều bất ngờ về Tiến Linh, tuyên bố sẽ ‘bắt’ Việt Nam phải chia điểm- Ảnh 3. — Coach Ha Hyeok-jun shared that he enjoys watching Tien Linh play football and he also highly appreciates the talent of coach Kim Sang-sik.

Thanh Hoa team player appears in Laos team's personnel: We will not make mistakes

At the pre-match press conference, Vietnamese-origin player Damoth Thongkhamsavath also appeared. Most recently, Damoth Thongkhamsavath also signed a contract with Thanh Hoa Club, playing in the V-League. Before the match with the Vietnamese team, Damoth Thongkhamsavath expressed his determination: “The Lao team will try not to make mistakes, playing for the goal of getting 1 point. For me, Quang Hai is the most dangerous player of the Vietnamese team. However, we will do our best to make it difficult for the Vietnamese team.

I am of Vietnamese blood and I am very happy to receive the attention of fans. After the AFF Cup, I myself have been able to compete more and have improved a lot."