Vietnam team is 'warming up' for AFF Cup

FIND THE RHYTHM

Before the training trip to Korea, the Vietnamese team had a period of stagnation in performance. Quang Hai and his teammates lost 7 consecutive matches under coach Philippe Troussier. After that, when Mr. Kim Sang-sik took over, the situation was not much better with only 1 win in the last 5 matches.

The reason given by Mr. Kim is that during the months of September and October (V-League enters the break), Vietnamese players have too few matches to accumulate physical strength and ball feeling. That creates inertia in both physical and mental strength. The Vietnamese team was also unlucky to miss the friendly match with Lebanon, leading to having to practice with the "blue team" Nam Dinh. However, a member of the Vietnamese team emphasized that for the whole team, being able to play friendly matches is good, each match is very valuable, as it helps players maintain the feeling of playing football in the context of the Vietnamese football system which already has few matches.

The Vietnamese team is in good shape.

That shows how important the training trip in Korea and the 3 friendly matches are to Mr. Kim Sang-sik and his team. In recent days, the Korean coach has maintained a very high training intensity for his players, with 2 training sessions per day, alternating physical training and endurance in the morning and confrontation and tactics in the afternoon. The Vietnamese team also plays friendly matches every 2 days, including 1 day of competition and the next day of training to correct shortcomings.

In the match against Ulsan Citizen, Hoang Duc and his teammates dominated the game, deployed the ball well, had impressive overlapping and lightning-fast splits. In the victory against Daegu FC, the defense made their mark by playing focused, covering and competing well, while the offense took advantage of opportunities effectively. The criteria that coach Kim requires of his students such as maintaining tactical discipline in defense, pressing and attacking, coordinating more quickly and directly, avoiding unnecessary passes... are being realized in each match.

VETERANS AND NEWCOMERS COMPETE

The good news for Mr. Kim is that whether he is using an experienced squad or a "group 2" with many young players, the Vietnamese team still maintains a relatively smooth playing style. The players' physical strength has also improved, as evidenced in the match against Daegu FC, when Quang Hai and Hai Long scored two goals at the end of the first and second half, which is the time when Vietnamese players are often exhausted and lack concentration. The match against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on December 1 will be the highest dose "test" to assess the physical strength and performance of the Vietnamese team.

The two goals of the Vietnamese team against Daegu FC in the friendly match on November 29 were scored by a veteran (Quang Hai) and a rookie (Hai Long). While Quang Hai has been a member of the national team since 2017, becoming the leader of the national team for the past 6 years with a long playing career in many international arenas, Hai Long is a very new face. He was once rejected by coach Park Hang-seo as the "core" of the U.23 Vietnam team. As for Hanoi FC, it was not until this season that Hai Long made a strong impression with 3 goals since the beginning of the tournament.

The gap in class and experience between Quang Hai (in the same group of veterans) and Hai Long (in the same group of rookies) is not small. However, for coach Kim Sang-sik, this is never a problem. The Korean coach only evaluates on a single scale: whoever is more suitable for the playing style and puts in more effort will be selected. Therefore, the door to the Vietnamese team has opened wide for many unknown faces such as Hai Long, Ngoc Quang, Tien Anh, Ngoc Tan...

When Mr. Kim creates a healthy competitive atmosphere, the team will be strong. The AFF Cup 2024 is approaching, requiring the Vietnamese team to be ready in all aspects.

The Vietnamese team rose 3 places, ranking 116th in the world and 21st in Asia, after the International Football Federation (FIFA) announced the rankings on November 28. The reason for the Vietnamese team's rise is that other countries have changed their rankings. Specifically, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe and Azerbaijan are the teams that have fallen behind the Vietnamese team in the FIFA rankings. The highest ranked Southeast Asian team is Thailand (ranked 97), down 1 place. Notably, the Indonesian team has been added 16.24 points in this update and has risen to 125th in the world. In November 2024, the team from the archipelago had 2 matches in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Although they lost to Japan, coach Shin Tae-yong and his team won against Saudi Arabia and this helped them gain more points.

Lingnan

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-da-nong-may-cho-aff-cup-185241129192434739.htm