The Southeast Asia Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Cup, called the ‘World Cup in Southeast Asia’, has begun. The pride of the three Korean leaders Park Hang-seo, Shin Tae-yong, and Kim Pan-gon is also at stake, so a hot match is expected.
The 2022 AFF Mitsubishi Cup kicked off with a match between Cambodia and the Philippines at 7pm on the 20th (hereafter Korean time).
Group A consists of Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei, while Group B includes Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Laos. 1st and 2nd place in each group advance to the semi-final tournament.
The finals will be held over the year on January 13 (first round) and 16 (second round), 2023. Including defending champion Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia are considered candidates for the championship.
For countries belonging to the AFF, where major tournaments such as the World Cup and Asian Cup are ‘feasts for others’, the AFF Cup, which can challenge the championship at any time and has strong regional rivalry, is the best soccer content.
In particular, this competition is interesting because there are as many as three Korean leaders. First of all, coach Park Hang-seo, who leads Vietnam in Group B, decided to put down his baton after this tournament, drawing more attention.
Head coach Park Hang-seo, who took office in 2017, has made many achievements to be called the hero of Vietnamese football.
Coach Park, who won the tournament in 2018 and won the trophy for the first time in 10 years in Vietnam, caused a great sensation by towing it to the quarterfinals in the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. 메이저사이트 However, coach Park Hang-seo decided to end his association with Vietnam and made the AFF Cup the final stage.
Coach Park Hang-seo, who failed to lose for the second time in a row by only finishing in the semifinals in the last tournament, is determined to reap the beauty of the end by recapturing the top of the AFF Cup.
Vietnamese media ‘VN Express’ hoped for propaganda, saying, “Vietnam can present the last championship to coach Park Hang-seo. Coach Park Hang-seo deserves such treatment.”
Malaysia in the same group also has a Korean leader. It is directed by Kim Pan-gon.
Coach Pangon Kim, who took the baton in Malaysia earlier this year, is preparing for his first tournament to open an era of success in Southeast Asia, just like coach Hangseo Park did.
Kim Pangon-ho is already in a good mood by defeating Cambodia 4-0 and Maldives 3-0 in the December match.
It is not easy to catch Vietnam in the same group in terms of objective power, but it is an analysis that it is possible to advance to the semifinals with the goal of second place in the group. The match between Park Hang-seo’s Vietnam and Kim Pan-gon’s Malaysia will be held on the 27th.
In Group A, there is Indonesia under coach Shin Tae-yong. Director Shin, who has been receiving enthusiastic support from Indonesian fans for producing a miracle of reaching the finals in the last tournament, is again scramble for the top.
It’s awkward to be in the same group as the champion of the last tournament, ‘strong’ Thailand. However, the recent growth of Indonesian football is fast, so a surprise can happen. Indonesia has continued a good trend, winning both matches against Curaçao.
Head coach Shin Tae-yong is determined to win the first trophy in Indonesia, which has never won the tournament. Shin Tae-yong will play his first match against Cambodia on the 23rd.