I am writing this article before the final round of the AFF Cup 2022, because I do not want the result of a match to affect the legacy of Coach Park Hang-seo.

He has done an excellent job, not just because of his winning streak and titles.

Coach Park Hang-seo waved to fans after the last match leading the Vietnamese team, losing 0-1 to Thailand in the final leg of the AFF Cup 2022 on the evening of January 16, 2023 at Thammasat Stadium.

The first thing is that Park overcame political barriers when leading the team in Vietnam.

More importantly, Park Hang-seo has survived two major barriers for a foreign coach, the first being the negativity of the media.

The second biggest difficulty with foreign coaches in Vietnam is intervention from management agencies.

That’s why many players prefer to work with foreign coaches, because domestic coaches are under too much pressure.

Like I said, forget about titles and victories.

Vietnam has a defined style of play, based on defensive strength and quick counter-attacks.

If you play more risky attacks, the team will be at greater risk of losing heavily.

No team wins forever, and Vietnam has achieved great results thanks to disciplined and organized play under Park.

I’ve never met Coach Park so I don’t know what he’s like.

I don’t know what Park’s next plan is, but I’ll be interested in his successor.

Now Vietnam must think about the next important goals, the Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Vietnam and Thailand need to consider the AFF Cup as a stepping stone to reach bigger goals.

Steve Darby was born in 1955 in Liverpool, England, and has led teams such as Bahrain, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam women’s, as well as top clubs in Malaysia, Singapore or India.