[ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
Michael Church<\/p>\n
(Reuters) – Monday marks the end of an era for Vietnamese football, with Park Han-seo leading the national team for the last time.<\/p>\n
Vietnam will face defending champions Thailand in the second leg of the final at Thammasat Stadium on the outskirts of Bangkok. Thailand take the lead after his 2-2 draw in Hanoi on Friday. 65-year-old Park’s Mi Ding is his last game at the stadium. .<\/p>\n
An assistant to Guus Hiddink as South Korea advanced to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals, Park has overseen the national team’s skyrocketing fortunes during his five-year tenure.<\/p>\n
But with the end of his term nearing, Park is focused solely on getting the results right for his team.<\/p>\n
“From the beginning of the contract until now, the players and I have always tried to do our best in each tournament, each match,” he said early in the tournament.<\/p>\n
“It won’t change even if I resign after the tournament is over.<\/p>\n
“We are focused on the next game and not thinking about what the last game will be (for me).”<\/p>\n
After taking office in September 2017, Park led Vietnam to the semi-finals of the 2018 Asian Games and won the ASEAN Championship later that year.<\/p>\n
In 2019, Park’s team reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, losing 1-0 to four-time champions Japan. reached.<\/p>\n
Park’s influence has been lauded at home, with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol awarding him the Order of Heung-in for promoting friendship between the two countries.<\/p>\n
In Vietnam, the documentary was screened and sold out in movie theaters across the country.<\/p>\n
Having previously said he plans to open an academy in Vietnam once his tenure ends, Park seems poised to continue helping the country pursue its first World Cup final qualification.<\/p>\n
That goal looks closer than ever with Asia’s guaranteed quota increased to eight for the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Michael Church, Hong Kong; Editing by Peter Rutherford)<\/p>\n