Vietnam team will be better in the match against Laos

The Vietnamese team played very well in the first half against Cambodia in the friendly match on the evening of March 19 in Binh Duong. Coach Kim Sang-sik's players controlled the game well, put pressure on their opponents, created many opportunities and took a relatively easy 2-goal lead. However, in the second half, when Mr. Kim Sang-sik started to experiment, the Vietnamese team lost control of the game and almost failed to secure the victory.

The Vietnamese team needs to focus fully on the match against Laos.

Photo: NGOC LINH

It is difficult to say that the Vietnamese team was complacent against Cambodia, but some players played below their potential, especially in midfield (overwhelmed by the opponent) and central defense (wrong position, marking mistakes). Coach Kim Sang-sik withdrew Trieu Viet Hung from the field after the player born in 1997 let the opponent escape on the left wing. That shows that Mr. Kim always places importance on discipline and positional thinking in playing style. Not only Viet Hung, most of the pillars of the Vietnamese team played below their potential and coordinated poorly against Cambodia.

It is understandable that Mr. Kim's students had a low note in the match at Binh Duong Stadium. The dense competition schedule from August 2024 until now (the players have not had a break of more than 2 weeks in the past 6 months) has worn down the players' physical strength. The heavy running against Cambodia was a warning, forcing coach Kim Sang-sik to reconsider the problem of physical strength and ball feeling, thus choosing a more suitable approach against Laos.

After the match against Cambodia, coach Kim Sang-sik let his players relax and practice lightly to "relax". The most important thing right now is to maintain a comfortable mentality and high concentration. The match against Laos on March 25 will not be easy, as the opponent has improved. At the AFF Cup 2024, Laos held the visiting team Vietnam to a draw in the first half, then took points against Indonesia and the Philippines.

If Cambodia relies on the inspiration of naturalized players from Japan and African countries, the Laos team under coach Ha Hyeok-jun impresses with their tenacious, disciplined and resilient playing style. The Lao players already have a good technical foundation, so they only need to add the catalyst called tactical discipline, and the team from the land of a million elephants will make history.

To prepare for the match against Vietnam, coach Ha Hyeok-jun went to Binh Duong Stadium a month ago. He meticulously recorded the match conditions and analyzed formidable strikers such as Tien Linh and Vi Hao. The Laos team prepared very carefully, with the desire to make history with at least a draw on the opening day of the 2027 Asian Cup.