As the home team, Thailand dominated the game and created many opportunities, especially during overtime. However, Vietnam’s defense was strong at the net, earning one precious point.

“Tuan Anh is a great player. His recent impressive play earned him a place on the field today. Although he needs to keep improving, Tuan Anh was the most outstanding player out there today and deserves our praise,” Park said at a press briefing following the match at the 25,000-seat Thammasat University Stadium in Pathum Thani, 40km north of Bangkok.

“Scoring one point on Thai soil will motivate us in the other matches. Both Thailand and Vietnam had chances to score. The biggest regret is that our men weren’t in peak condition and didn’t have enough time for training. Thailand is still a strong team in ASEAN with new coach Akira Nishino. He is a quality and experienced coach. I believe Thailand will make further progress under his leadership,” said Park.

Asked about the yellow-card warning he received during the match, Park said: “I’m not mad at the Thai fans. I’m just a hot-tempered person. I was once kicked off the pitch in South Korea.”

He stopped short of revealing his plan for the SEA Games in the Philippines later this year.