Is coach Kim Sang Sik's caution holding back the Vietnamese team?

Coach Kim Sang Sik in the match against Cambodia - Photo: NGUYEN KHOI

"The Cambodian team is making remarkable progress. No one can deny this after their impressive performance at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Especially when they face Thailand and other strong opponents.

And on the night of March 19 at Go Dau Stadium (Binh Duong), when facing host Vietnam, the Cambodian team was no longer as timid as before. They defended proactively and were ready to launch sharp counterattacks.

On the Vietnamese team side, coach Kim Sang Sik still maintained a high level of caution. He used almost the strongest lineup with a trio of experienced central defenders: Duy Manh, Tien Dung, Thanh Chung.

The midfield was controlled by Hoang Duc and Ngoc Tan. Meanwhile, the attack line had the presence of Quang Hai, Hai Long and Tuan Hai. The only change in the starting lineup was the appearance of Viet Hung. But after only 30 minutes, he was replaced by Van Vi.

Explaining this decision at the press conference, Coach Kim said that the reason for not using young players was because the current pillars were in good shape. This point of view was not wrong, because he understood that even though it was just a friendly match, the Vietnamese team still needed to win against Cambodia.

Coach Kim Sang Sik's caution: Reason or excessive caution?

Vietnam is the reigning Southeast Asian champion - a champion that cannot be complacent against any opponent. Vietnam has never lost to Cambodia at the national team level, and the pressure to maintain this achievement is enormous.

The match took place at home, in front of thousands of fans, Coach Kim Sang Sik could not lose the trust of the fans after the victory at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Cambodia is no longer a weak opponent - they only lost 2-3 to Thailand at the ASEAN Cup 2024, proving formidable progress. Coach Kim needs to test the strongest squad before the match against Laos in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, this caution may make many fans worried. The team cannot rely on veterans forever and needs to experiment with more daring personnel.

When facing Cambodia - an opponent we have previously dominated - the inability to impose our style of play can be seen as a sign worth pondering.

Is Coach Kim’s caution holding back the team’s development? Or is it just a temporary strategy to ensure stability? The answer will be clear when the Vietnamese team enters the upcoming important matches.

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