Coach Kim Sang-sik's leadership skills

Coach Kim Sang-sik's leadership skills

Reasonable lineup of Vietnam National Team

During the two days of training as well as the internal match with U22 Vietnam on the afternoon of June 4, coach Kim Sang-sik continuously operated a framework for the Vietnam national team. That lineup included goalkeeper Nguyen Filip. The three central defenders included Thanh Chung, Duy Manh, and Tien Dung. Meanwhile, the two wings of the Vietnam national team were Truong Tien Anh (right wing), Cao Pendant Quang Vinh (left wing). Supporting these two flanks revolving around the attacking front were Hai Long and Van Vi. The three attacking players in the middle were Hoang Duc, Minh Khoa, and Tien Linh.

Coach Kim Sang-sik assembles the squad for the Vietnam national team.

It must be affirmed that this is not the most satisfactory lineup of coach Kim Sang-sik. The injuries of Vi Hao and Van Toan mean that the Korean coach cannot have a winger with speed and the ability to penetrate the "armpit" of the opponent's defense, similar to the way he applied at the AFF Cup 2024.

The player with strengths similar to Vi Hao and Van Toan is Dinh Thanh Binh. However, this striker did not have good performance in the National First Division, playing for Phu Dong Ninh Binh. Another player is Pham Tuan Hai, although he plays as a winger at Hanoi FC, he has never met expectations in this role when playing for the Vietnam National Team, under coach Kim Sang-sik.

Therefore, the most likely names for this role are left-back Nguyen Van Vi or Cao Pendant Quang Vinh. These are two players who can attack and defend quite well thanks to their speed, strength and ability to create in many positions on the field. In the interview on the morning of June 5, coach Kim Sang-sik also emphasized the versatility that creates the advantages of these two players.

Especially Vietnamese-American player Cao Pendant Quang Vinh. “Quang Vinh’s presence makes the team’s tactics more flexible. I can continue to analyze to make the most of Quang Vinh’s versatility, from left center back, full back, winger, as well as other players,” Coach Kim Sang-sik confidently shared.

Finally, the Korean coach used both Van Vi and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh on the left wing of the Vietnam national team. This strategist wanted to create a flexible exchange between these two faces in the attacking and defensive roles. Even when necessary, Van Vi and Quang Vinh could push up together to create great pressure on the right-back and right-sided center-back of the opposing team.

In the context of the match between Malaysia and Cape Verde, the Southeast Asian representative revealed a flaw in the ability to defend from a distance as well as closely follow the opponent's wingers. Coach Kim Sang-sik said that if they can exploit the cross-field passes from home to the two wings, as well as take advantage of the very quick escapes from the "runners", the Vietnam team can cause Malaysia trouble.

Coach Kim Sang-sik's idea

Of course, to realize the idea of ​​​​breaking down the wing, especially on the left wing, coach Kim Sang-sik needs "input materials". The appearance of two veteran left and right center-backs, Duy Manh and Tien Dung, not only ensures the defensive task, but also provides high-quality cross-field passes from home.

Remember in the opening match of the AFF Cup 2024 group stage, when the Vietnamese team was stuck against Laos, Bui Tien Dung was the one who opened the pass for Hai Long to make a beautiful shot, opening the game for the "Golden Star Warriors". Another plus point belongs to central defender Tien Dung. In some specific situations, he can temporarily take on the role of left-back, creating "space" for the duo Van Vi and Quang Vinh to move up and put pressure on the opponent.

Meanwhile, Duy Manh's presence is somewhat complementary to Thanh Chung himself. Playing together for a long time at Hanoi FC helps this duo cover each other very well, alternating the roles of a central defender and a sweeper. Thanh Chung is a player who is strong in competition, chasing and willing to close in. But he needs a reliable enough stopper behind to avoid being outplayed by opponents.

Of course, in addition to Duy Manh, the defense of the Vietnam national team is also more secure when Nguyen Filip stands in the goal. His impressive performance in the past month, especially in the two finals of the Southeast Asian Club Championship between Hanoi Police and Buriram United, is the basis for Nguyen Filip to create peace of mind for fans.

Another link on the right wing is Truong Tien Anh. In terms of defensive ability, Tien Anh will not be as durable as Xuan Manh, his senior who plays the same position in the Vietnam national team. However, in return, this player is increasingly perfecting his ability to climb the sidelines and coordinate attacks with his teammates on the front line. The understanding between Tien Anh and Hai Long is the reason why coach Kim Sang-sik confidently chose them to be in the current main squad of the Vietnam national team.

It is necessary to mention more about the key "positions". The absence of Doan Ngoc Tan forced coach Kim Sang-sik to find another midfielder to take on the task of cleaning up the midfield. Nguyen Duc Chien of Viettel The Cong Club is a similar choice in terms of playing style and advantages and disadvantages. However, due to knee problems, Duc Chien has certain limitations when getting used to coach Kim Sang-sik's playing style.

Invisibly, to ensure stability in the task of controlling the midfield area, Mr. Kim decided to choose Vo Hoang Minh Khoa to play next to "passer" Hoang Duc. Minh Khoa himself also performed quite well in the 5-0 victory of the Vietnam National Team over the Laos National Team in the first round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in March. In addition to performing well in the long-range interception phase, Minh Khoa is strong in holding the ball, approaching the opponent's penalty area, finishing or coordinating with the striker. In the context that Tien Linh has not found the feeling of scoring goals, Minh Khoa can be completely considered as a plan B in the attack phase of the "Golden Star Warriors".

Positive results

The squad that coach Kim Sang-sik built won 2-1 against the juniors U22 Vietnam. Also from the way the Vietnam team played, coach Kim Sang-sik showed that this coach was not intimidated by a transformed Malaysia, with more than half of the force being naturalized players or Malaysians with origins in Brazil, Spain, England... Instead of choosing to huddle together to defend and wait for counterattack opportunities, the Vietnam team that Mr. Kim is trying to build is ready to play an open game with the opponent. Coach Kim Sang-sik has also outlined the attacking strategies for the Vietnam team in the match on June 10.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/ban-linh-cam-quan-cua-hlv-kim-sang-sik-i770721/