Coach Kim Sang Sik: "There is no mountain that cannot be overcome"
Báo Dân trí•01/01/2025
(Dan Tri) - Speaking at a press conference before the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final, coach Kim Sang Sik compared the Thai team to a mountain, but he also affirmed that "no mountain is insurmountable".
In the pre-match press conference, coach Kim Sang Sik shared his thoughts on the upcoming match against the Thai team. He opened with New Year greetings and thanked everyone for coming to support the team. Coach Kim Sang Sik commented: "To me, the Thai team is a big mountain, but I think no mountain is insurmountable. I hope the players will have a good performance in the upcoming match." Coach Kim Sang Sik attended a press conference before the match against Thailand (Photo: Do Minh Quan). The Vietnamese team will host Thailand in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (January 2). The Vietnamese team won 3 matches and drew 1 match in the group stage, thereby topping Group B with 10 points after 4 matches. In the semi-finals, coach Kim Sang Sik's team showed excellent form against the Singapore team, with a 2-0 away win and a 3-1 win at Viet Tri Stadium. With a total score of 5-1, the Vietnamese team confidently won a ticket to the final against Thailand. The match between Thailand and Vietnam is not only considered a "Southeast Asian derby" but also a confrontation between two major football powers in East Asia, when two coaches from Japan and Korea face each other. Coach Kim Sang Sik shared: "I know that, so tomorrow's match must be a very difficult encounter. However, we defeated Singapore in the semi-finals. On that basis, the Vietnamese team expects to have a good match against Thailand, a team also led by a Japanese coach." Player Xuan Manh (right) attended the press conference with coach Kim Sang Sik (Photo: Do Minh Quan). Ahead of the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final, coach Kim Sang Sik expressed the confidence of the Vietnamese team. He shared: "I have experience participating in finals as a coach. I am the head coach of Vietnam, it is my honor and the players are ready". "We try to win to give fans in the new year. Thailand has a long match against the Philippines. After that, they have to travel to Vietnam, so the players will be more or less affected. This gives the Vietnamese team confidence for tomorrow's match", Mr. Kim Sang Sik emphasized. In response to information that the Vietnamese team was afraid when facing Thailand, coach Kim Sang Sik affirmed: "All that information is in the past. We focus on the present, the players have prepared very well and are ready for the upcoming match". Mr. Kim Sang Sik emphasized that the Vietnamese team is aiming for the highest goal: "Yesterday, I told the players that we must win the championship. The players and I are trying to perform well in tomorrow's match." In recent matches, coach Kim Sang Sik has not used a fixed goalkeeper for the Vietnamese team, but instead, he has rotated the use of both Nguyen Filip and Dinh Trieu. Sharing about this decision, coach Kim Sang Sik said: "All 26 players are ready for the tournament, from the first match to the final, we have made adjustments to bring good results. For Dinh Trieu and Filip Nguyen, they are both great goalkeepers. Filip has good skills, but I consider the advantage of communicating in Vietnamese and Dinh Trieu has better communication skills. I have discussed with the goalkeeper coach about using goalkeepers." Player Pham Xuan Manh answers questions at the press conference (Photo: Do Minh Quan). At a press conference with coach Kim Sang Sik, player Pham Xuan Manh said: "The Vietnamese team spent 10 days training in Korea very hard and achieved the goal of playing in the final with good results. Thailand is a strong opponent, we have faced them for many years. I myself set the goal of winning when I go on the field. We will listen to the coach's tactics and strategies to have favorable results". Xuan Manh shared about the mentality of the Vietnamese team when facing the Thai team. He affirmed: "I do not look back at the past, only focus on the present and look forward to the future. The whole team will play their best according to the instructions of the coaching staff and try to start the new year for Vietnamese football better. Coach Kim Sang Sik told us three things, one is to be champion, two is to be champion and three is also to be champion".
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