What philosophy for U.22 Vietnam?
Coach Kim Sang-sik's Vietnam team won the 2024 AFF Cup thanks to a pragmatic style of play: solid defense, fast and strong pressing, quick and simple attack organization, with the criteria of approaching the penalty area as quickly as possible.
Mr. Kim succeeded thanks to an experienced defense and a well-rounded and muscular striker Nguyen Xuan Son. With Xuan Son, the Vietnamese team has an attacker capable of competing one-on-one, shoulder-to-shoulder with the opponent's defenders to build a counter-attack strategy. Although the Vietnamese team's playing style is not beautiful, we must praise coach Kim Sang-sik because he has covered his students with a "blanket" suitable for their level, while optimizing the strength of the existing human resources.
Will coach Kim Sang-sik find the right path for U.22 Vietnam?
To achieve similar results with U.22 Vietnam, coach Kim Sang-sik also needs to find a suitable blanket for his students. The past has shown that only when a clear style is formed, U.22 Vietnam will have a "runway" to take off.
Under the guidance of coach Park Hang-seo, the U.22 Vietnam team won the 30th SEA Games in 2019 with a devastating attack (scoring 24 goals) and a solid defense (conceding 4 goals). The reason the team can play comprehensively is thanks to the outstanding quality of the players from the faces who have been in the Vietnam national team for many years, so both their level and their bravery are far superior to their opponents in the region.
By the 31st SEA Games in 2022, when the U.22 Vietnam attack was weakened, Coach Park Hang-seo reserved 2 out of 3 over-age players to supplement the midfield. Mr. Park's intention was to build a pragmatic playing style, thanks to good control of the rhythm of play and punishing opponents in the moment. U.22 Vietnam only scored 8 goals in 6 matches, but still won the championship thanks to a solid defense (clean sheet throughout the tournament).
For U.22 Vietnam to return to the top, coach Kim Sang-sik needs to quickly shape such a specific playing philosophy.
Difficult problem
However, coaching U.22 Vietnam is more difficult than the national team. Mr. Kim will not have a "do-it-all" striker like Xuan Son, nor an experienced defense to build a solid strategy.
In the hands of the Korean coach is a generation of misfits: only 3 U.22 players have played more than 10 matches in the V-League this season (up to now), most of them are on the bench in the V-League or are playing in the first division. Never before has the defense line made U.22 Vietnam as worried as it is now, when defenders like Nguyen Hoang, Manh Hung, Van Chuong, Hieu Minh... are all inexperienced, with only their first time stepping into the professional level.
Van Truong is a familiar face of U.22 Vietnam, but rarely plays in V-League.
Forwards such as Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Quoc Viet, Nguyen Dinh Bac and midfielders Nguyen Thai Son, Khuat Van Khang... are not good enough for Mr. Kim. The proof is that only Vi Hao and Thai Son survived the coaching staff's tests to participate in the AFF Cup 2024.
With a young squad in hand, what is coach Kim Sang-sik planning? Playing with a tight, scientific and muscular philosophy typical of Korea, returning to the "hinge" of defensive counter-attack to open the door to victory, or prioritizing ball control and attack like coach Philippe Troussier so that the players can maximize their technical and tactical thinking... are all potential options for Mr. Kim.
Coach Kim Sang-sik has only had one training session with the U.22 Vietnam team. A young player confirmed that Mr. Kim has not coached tactics, but only encouraged his students to confidently prove themselves and show their passion. With only 3 or 4 days of getting to know his students, Mr. Kim probably cannot fully understand the context of Vietnamese youth football.
The training sessions from now until November are an opportunity for the Korean coach to understand his players’ abilities, and then choose the appropriate playing style. Only when he understands what he has in hand, can coach Kim and his players chart a path to success.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u22-viet-nam-bay-bong-hay-thuc-dung-de-vo-dich-sea-games-thay-kim-phai-chon-185250212131918306.htm
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