Vietnam team wins ASEAN Cup and the mark of coach Kim Sang-sik
Báo Lao Động•06/01/2025
The 2024 ASEAN Cup championship of the Vietnamese team bears the mark of coach Kim Sang-sik. On the evening of January 5, the Vietnamese team won 3-2 against Thailand right at the "fire pan" of the opponent Rajamangala in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik and his team beat their opponent with a total score of 5-3 after 2 matches, thereby winning the championship of this year's tournament. This is the first title of Mr. Kim Sang-sik since leading the Vietnamese team in early May 2024. In about 8 months of taking on the task, the Korean coach did not have many "big" statements. His messages were very simple but clear. The important thing is that he completed the goal with the team at the biggest tournament in the region.
At the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the 1976-born captain helped the Vietnamese team finish the tournament unbeaten (7 wins, 1 draw). After 29 years of tournament history, no team has done this in a single tournament, even the Thai team. Mr. Kim Sang-sik's biggest mark comes from his ability to use people that few people expected. Throughout the 8 matches of the tournament, experts and fans found it difficult to predict the starting lineup of the Vietnamese team chosen by the Korean coach. The most obvious was the decision to use two goalkeepers Nguyen Filip and Dinh Trieu in parallel in the group stage. From a "supporting actor", when given the opportunity, Dinh Trieu proved his ability and became a steel shield in the Vietnamese team's goal since the semi-finals. Mr. Kim's best use of people must be mentioned in the second leg of the final against Thailand. It was hard for anyone to predict that quality names like Quang Hai and Do Duy Manh would be on the bench in the final. Instead, Pham Tuan Hai - a striker who had never started a match before - took the field from the start. As a result, Tuan Hai opened the scoring for Vietnam early on. He also contributed to the second goal when he crossed the ball for the opposing team to score an own goal. After that, midfielder Nguyen Hai Long came off the bench to score the decisive goal, ending the efforts of the host Thailand. Coach Kim Sang-sik (middle) celebrates winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup with the Vietnamese team. Photo: Thanh Vu The 1976-born coach's mettle was also demonstrated through his decisive actions before the tournament. The proof is that he accepted negative opinions when he ignored Cong Phuong to give opportunities to less famous players such as Vi Hao, Doan Ngoc Tan, Tien Anh, Ngoc Quang... Mr. Kim Sang-sik was still sober, wise and made a moderate change, ensuring balance while still keeping players with great desire and experience such as Do Duy Manh, Bui Tien Dung, Thanh Chung, Hoang Duc, Tien Linh... It was the mettle of this captain that helped us realize that the Vietnamese national championship (V.League) still has many quality players. Perhaps, no one expected much from new faces like Doan Ngoc Tan, Nguyen Van Vi or goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu when they were chosen by Mr. Kim Sang-sik before the tournament. But now, all have become heroes. One of the factors that helped Vietnam win the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship is solidarity. Coach Kim Sang-sik is friendly, sociable and cheerful. He has created an energetic, fair competitive atmosphere for the team. There, each player's ego is pushed back, focusing on the common goal. Whoever has the most desire, physical strength and best form will be on the field. But no matter who is chosen, all are aiming for victory. Coach Kim Sang-sik has created a fighting Vietnamese team. Photo: Thanh Vu After the match, coach Kim Sang-sik called the victory of the Vietnamese team historic because the players overcame a very difficult match thanks to the encouragement from all Vietnamese fans. Although winning the ASEAN Cup championship, the Korean coach affirmed that this is just the beginning for the Vietnamese team. "We have completed the first goal. The next round of the Asian Cup qualifiers for the Vietnamese team and the SEA Games at the end of the year are the goals. I am excited and will consider the tournaments as a new beginning with Vietnam," said Mr. Kim Sang-sik.
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