BEWARE OF THE TRAILS
The Vietnamese team will gather again from March 11 to prepare for the next goal, the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. After restoring their position with the 2024 AFF Cup championship, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have a solid foundation in both form and spirit. If they play at their best, it will not be difficult for the Vietnamese team to defeat Malaysia, Laos and Nepal to find a ticket back to the Asian arena.
Vietnam team (24) prepares for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers
However, in addition to the task of winning a place at the 2027 Asian Cup, Coach Kim Sang-sik also aims to rebuild the Vietnamese team. Quang Hai and his teammates have returned to the top of Southeast Asia thanks to the human frame and the familiar defensive counter-attacking style that was molded under Coach Park Hang-seo, combined with the excellent and effective striker Xuan Son in the attack. Mr. Kim understands that to win the AFF Cup, he needs to take advantage of the experienced human foundation (instead of taking risks with young players like his predecessor Philippe Troussier), along with the counter-attacking style that players naturally feel most comfortable and secure when operating.
But this is not necessarily a reasonable strategy for the long term. Because despite contributing greatly to the successful period of Vietnamese football from 2018 to now, the 1995 - 1999 generation of Quang Hai, Van Thanh, Thanh Chung, Hoang Duc, Duy Manh, Tien Dung, Tien Linh have all reached their peak.
The players are satisfied with the V-League environment (even the first division), it is difficult to break through in terms of physical strength, level and experience. That squad of players is good but the ceiling is only at the Southeast Asian level, with all the best qualities having been revealed. The Vietnamese team exploded at the AFF Cup 2024 thanks to Xuan Son, a Vietnamese player with foreign blood and class. The victory in the Southeast Asian tournament does not bear the mark of a generation, and does not guarantee long-term success without change. Today's success cannot guarantee the future if there is only one playing style, or a group of players to trust. Mr. Kim needs to learn from the past to find the right direction for the Vietnamese team.
TEACHER KIM'S MINDSET
In the March training session to prepare for the matches against Cambodia (March 19, friendly) and Laos (March 25, Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers) at Binh Duong Stadium, Coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to recall the official squad from the AFF Cup. However, there will likely be new players. Mr. Kim is preparing to mix the old and the new, to ensure that the Vietnamese team is still strong enough to achieve good results, but also adventurous enough to try new dishes for the fans.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's use of players at the AFF Cup 2024 shows that he is still trying to find his own mark inside the safe shell. His trust in new faces like Ngoc Tan, Dinh Trieu, Ngoc Quang, Vi Hao... is an example. Mr. Kim respects the foundation left by his predecessors to develop ideas, but with the personality of the players who have built their own brand of playing style, the Korean coach still wants to create a breakthrough.
Unlike the AFF Cup, the Asian Cup qualifiers are a long tournament, with 6 matches spread across 5 training sessions lasting 1 year (from March 2025 to March 2026). This means that Mr. Kim and his team can both play and experiment with personnel and playing style. The door to the Vietnamese national team will open wide in each training session to welcome new players selected from the V-League and the first division. This is a suitable transition period for Mr. Kim to gradually promote the new generation to replace the old generation, of course with a balanced and harmonious dose.
At the same time, Xuan Son's injury also unintentionally urged coach Kim Sang-sik to create a new, more diverse and flexible strategy, instead of relying heavily on the Brazilian player as in the 2024 AFF Cup. The Vietnamese team must learn to be self-reliant and push themselves beyond their limits. If they only rely on a few specific individuals, it will be difficult for the team to achieve long-term success. The Vietnamese team must not only play defensive counter-attacks, but also know how to impose, control the game, pass the ball with precision and proactively deploy the gameplay in all three phases of defense, attack and transition. Only when they upgrade their playing style can Mr. Kim and his team overcome the barrier to approach Asian level.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-phai-tan-cong-hay-hon-nua-185250304171104189.htm
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