Does Vietnam team need Xuan Son or coach Kim Sang-sik?

Nguyen Xuan Son (right) was once a source of inspiration for the Vietnamese team under coach Kim Sang Sik. Photo: VF F

At the ASEAN Cup 2024, Xuan Son's appearance brought a breath of fresh air to the Vietnamese team. The team's veteran players showered praise on the Brazilian rookie, not just for his technical skills.

Captain Do Duy Manh shared that he was inspired to compete when he saw Xuan Son always playing with great desire. "Watching him play, you can see how determined and resilient he is," Duy Manh said.

Meanwhile, vice-captain Nguyen Tien Linh expressed his gratitude for Xuan Son's willingness to give up the opportunity to score a penalty in the first leg of the semi-final against Singapore. Defender Xuan Manh also emphasized that Xuan Son was a "catalyst" that helped the Vietnamese team receive more attention from fans. That is the factor that helps the team maintain the fire of desire for victory.

Nguyen Xuan Son's desire to express himself spreads positive energy to the Vietnamese team at the ASEAN Cup 2024. Photo: VFF

Xuan Son is currently unable to join the national team due to injury. Without him, the Vietnamese team immediately returns to its familiar image: There is no more novelty, because the squad has been solidly built since 2018.

The current players' motivation to compete is no longer the same as in the ASEAN Cup 2024 when the opponents in this FIFA Days in March are only Cambodia and Laos, which are very different in nature compared to Indonesia or Thailand. To solve the problem of maintaining the desire to win, the Vietnamese team needs to be bolder with new faces who are eager to express themselves, and can bring a strong fighting spirit like Xuan Son did.

Players in the plan of U22 Vietnam at SEA Games 33 include Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Thai Son, Khuat Van Khang, or Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, Dinh Thanh Binh, Tran Bao Toan.

Coach Kim Sang Sik is pragmatic in calculating personnel, ensuring maximum efficiency for the Vietnamese team. Photo: VFF

In fact, coach Kim Sang-sik has also experimented with new players, but still remains cautious. Typically, he placed Trieu Viet Hung in the left-back position, and when Hung did not play well, Mr. Kim replaced him immediately in the 27th minute of the friendly match with Cambodia.

It is important to note that, in addition to Xuan Son, the new inspiration for the Vietnamese team at the ASEAN Cup 2024 is midfielder Doan Ngoc Tan. However, Mr. Kim only trusted Tan after a long and discreet training process in Korea before entering the tournament.

Coach Kim Sang-sik's cautious use of personnel may cause the Vietnamese team to lose its appeal to fans, who always want the best victories and performances. But in the long run, more professionally, it seems that what Coach Kim Sang-sik has been doing is still bringing good results to the Vietnamese team. For example, the time he surprised everyone when he used Pham Tuan Hai as a starter (and shined) in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final, despite having kept him on the bench before.