Xuan Son shines, but don't forget that coach Kim Sang-sik had a reasonable strategy in the 2-1 victory of the Vietnamese team over Thailand in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final.
Vietnam Team: No post? No problem.
"We left a gap, then Xuan Son scored," coach Masatada Ishii exclaimed after Thailand's 1-2 defeat to Vietnam in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final. The Japanese coach understood the feelings of Myanmar and Singapore, when they became victims of the nightmare named Xuan Son.
There are not many words to praise the Brazilian striker. Xuan Son scored. Xuan Son assisted. Xuan Son designed the play. Xuan Son also became a pioneer, throwing himself into the disputes to pave the way for his teammates to advance. It is hard to imagine where the Vietnamese team would have gone without the striker wearing the number 12 shirt in the battle with the Thais on the evening of January 2.
Vietnam team overcomes Thailand in the first leg of the final
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
But, football has no "if". The Vietnamese team won thanks to Xuan Son. More deeply, it was thanks to coach Kim Sang-sik who made good use of the factors he had, and the 27-year-old striker was just a piece in the overall picture.
Pay attention to the details: Thailand is superior in all statistics related to the implementation of the game. The away team has more possession (63% compared to 37% of Vietnam), passes one and a half times more (464 passes compared to 262). However, the Vietnamese team is overwhelming in the index related to creating scoring situations: more shots (21 compared to 13), more shots on target (9 compared to 3), and more clear-cut chances (4 compared to 2).
Of course, that's all coach Kim Sang-sik needs. The finishing stats are the key to victory, and of course, the Vietnamese team doesn't need to control the ball much to do that.
It is difficult to blame Mr. Kim when the Vietnamese team does not have a clear playing philosophy. Building a smooth playing style in a national team that only meets once in a while is much more difficult than at the club level, where players train together every day. With a football foundation that is not good enough like Vietnam's, controlling the ball and playing like a top team is impossible.
However, Mr. Kim received the target of helping the team reach the final of the AFF Cup 2024 after only 6 months of working. Therefore, playing any way, as long as winning, gradually became the guiding principle that shaped the ship of the Korean coach.
Never give up spirit
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
In the final match against Thailand, the Vietnamese team minimized the passes, but maximized the effectiveness. For example, in the opening goal, Quang Hai received the ball on the right wing, still very far from the Thai goal. But just a long pass to Van Thanh to head the ball and Xuan Son to rush in, the Thai net shook. A very basic attack, in the primer of any textbook, but Thailand could not stop it.
That's also Mr. Kim's approach: what matters is efficiency, short or long balls, how many touches are combined doesn't matter.
Run, run and run some more
However, it is not simple to be able to play... "simply" like that. First, there must be a good striker. Coach Kim Sang-sik is lucky to have Xuan Son and vice versa, Xuan Son is also lucky that the playing system of the Vietnamese team has placed him in the core role. It is a risky bet, because from the beginning, perhaps no one thought the Brazilian striker could adapt so quickly.
Next, there is a good enough physical foundation and a reasonable pressing strategy. Half of the chances the Vietnamese team created against Thailand came from pressing to win the ball and then organizing quick attacks. Understanding that the Thai defense did not control the ball well, coach Kim Sang-sik instructed his players to press high, causing the away team's defenders to panic and lose the ball.
The situation where Chalermsak Aukkee made a mistake, allowing Xuan Son to score, was predicted by Mr. Kim in the pre-match training session. Fast, strong and muscular are also familiar approaches of Korean coaches, in contrast to the systematic and methodical approach of Japanese coaches. In the battle between water and fire last night, the Vietnamese team won because they made fewer mistakes. Cup matches sometimes require that.
In the end, the victory came from the Vietnamese spirit. The image of Doan Ngoc Tan being fouled, kicked in the thigh and then stepped on the hand, but still standing up to play the whole match... said it all. The Vietnamese team tried very hard to make up for their shortcomings. If they were less technically skilled, they had to run more, if they were not as strong, they had to be more resilient. With 17 goals scored in the second half, the Vietnamese team rekindled the concept of "never giving up" that seemed to have faded when Mr. Park left the hot seat.
But if we play with the spirit of never giving up, no matter how difficult the second leg is, it won't be a problem. The Vietnamese team will still go against the wind!
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cai-gioi-cua-thay-kim-trong-ngay-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ha-dep-thai-lan-185250103074328049.htm
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