Behind Coach Kim Sang-sik's Controversial Man-Use

SAFE CHOICE

Those who were waiting for the new players to play in the match against the Cambodian team were probably disappointed when they saw the lineup of coach Kim Sang-sik. Viet Hung was the only player on trial, besides 10 familiar names on the journey of the Vietnamese team to win the AFF Cup 2024. Viet Hung also only played for 27 minutes before giving way to Van Vi. The Vietnamese team fielded their strongest lineup to play a friendly match at home, against a weaker opponent Cambodia who was also testing the lineup.

The Vietnamese team (right) needs to play better in the match against Laos on March 25.

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

However, the Vietnamese team only won 2-1, with a fragile game situation as fragile as the 1-goal difference. Mr. Kim refused the opportunity to test new elements, by using the old players. But even when playing with the optimal lineup, the Vietnamese team's playing style did not have the appearance of a Southeast Asian champion, with many "flaws" in both attack and defense.

The first question is why coach Kim Sang-sik did not experiment? The Korean coach explained that "the squad has not changed much" and "the pillars are still playing well". The 2024 AFF Cup just ended 2 months ago, so apart from club-level matches, Mr. Kim has not had time to test his students' abilities, so he believes that using pillars is a safe solution to avoid disruption.

However, choosing the old players means limiting the opportunity to find new factors. Thai Son, Bao Toan and Xuan Hoang were removed from the list before the match, while Trung Kien, Ly Duc and Minh Khoa sat on the bench for the whole match. Although this group of players lacks international experience and may not play well enough in training sessions, only in real combat, that is, on the field in a specific match, will the new players have the opportunity to reveal their potential. Coach Kim Sang-sik may not have given the new players a chance because he is still waiting for more.

At the same time as winning the AFF Cup 2024, expectations placed on the Vietnamese team have become stronger again. The match right after the coronation is very important, and any stumble will lead to psychological effects, when the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers are near. Mr. Kim wants to limit risks and give opportunities to new players in other matches.

TEAM LINEUP FOR MATCH AGAINST LAOS

During the 9 months of training the Vietnamese team, coach Kim Sang-sik, although he has not yet built a consistent playing philosophy, has a diverse tactical style and an unpredictable way of using people. The Korean coach has deployed the strongest lineup when he needs to experiment, but is also ready to rotate players when… no one thinks about it.

For example, in the second leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final, he unexpectedly brought Tuan Hai back into the squad (he had almost no chance to play before), and then the striker born in 1998 shone with a goal against Thailand. Mr. Kim also rotated goalkeepers Dinh Trieu and Nguyen Filip in the group stage, trusting lesser-known names such as Ngoc Tan, Ngoc Quang and Vi Hao.

Expert Doan Minh Xuong believes that coach Kim Sang-sik has his own point of view and is willing to go against the majority. "However, all of Mr. Kim's decisions are calculated and have hidden meanings," Mr. Xuong assessed. It is possible that in the match against Laos, the Vietnamese team will introduce a series of new players such as Ly Duc or Minh Khoa. At the 2024 AFF Cup, Mr. Kim surprised his opponents, and this time may be no exception. Because through the match against Cambodia, the Korean coach seems to have seen the limits of some key players. The Vietnamese team defended loosely with many times the defenders made mistakes in their positions, making it easy for opponents to poke them into the armpits to go down the sideline. The midfield has not controlled the game well, while the attacking pieces with Quang Hai, Vi Hao, Tuan Hai or Tien Linh are relatively disjointed, although Cambodia's defense is also not good. Coach Kim Sang-sik has 5 days to reshape the playing style and complete the pieces for the match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers (March 25). There will almost certainly be 1 or 2 changes. The Lao team has drawn with Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines in the past 3 months. This is not an opponent that the Vietnamese team can win no matter how they play.

After all, coach Kim Sang-sik was appointed to lead the Vietnamese team to win. He has no obligation to train or develop players, because that is inherently the job of club-level coaches. Coach Kim's job is to win. Results are the only important factor. For example, at the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team, despite having some bad matches, still won 7 out of 8 matches and became the champion, and that is enough.

A win will help coach Kim Sang-sik relieve pressure and dispel doubts about personnel decisions. Otherwise, the pressure on him will increase!