Coach Kim's brilliance on the day Vietnam team 'beautifully defeated' Thailand

Xuan Son shined, but don't forget that coach Kim Sang-sik had a reasonable strategy in the 2-1 victory of the Vietnamese team against Thailand in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final.

Vietnam Team: No post? No problem.

"We left a gap, then Xuan Son scored," coach Masatada Ishii exclaimed after Thailand's 1-2 defeat to Vietnam in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final. The Japanese coach understood the feelings of Myanmar and Singapore, when they became victims of the nightmare named Xuan Son.

There are not many words to praise the Brazilian striker. Xuan Son scored. Xuan Son assisted. Xuan Son designed the play. Xuan Son also became a pioneer, throwing himself into disputes to clear the way for his teammates to advance. It is hard to imagine where the Vietnamese team would have gone without the striker wearing the number 12 shirt in the battle with the Thais on the evening of January 2.

Vietnam team overcomes Thailand in the first leg of the final

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

But, football has no "if". The Vietnamese team won thanks to Xuan Son. More deeply, it was thanks to coach Kim Sang-sik who made good use of the factors he had, and the 27-year-old striker was just a piece in the overall picture.

Pay attention to the details: Thailand is superior in all statistics related to the implementation of the game. The away team has more possession of the ball (63% compared to 37% of Vietnam), passes one and a half times more (464 passes compared to 262). However, the Vietnamese team is overwhelming in the index related to creating scoring situations: more shots (21 compared to 13), more shots on target (9 compared to 3), and more clear-cut chances (4 compared to 2).

Of course, that’s all coach Kim Sang-sik needs. The finishing stats are the key to victory, and of course, the Vietnamese team doesn’t need much ball control to do that.

It is difficult to blame Mr. Kim when the Vietnamese team does not have a clear playing philosophy. Building a smooth playing strategy in a national team that only meets once in a while is much more difficult than at the club level, where players practice together every day. With a football foundation that is not as good as Vietnam's, controlling the ball and playing like a superior team is impossible.

However, Mr. Kim received the target of helping the team reach the final of the AFF Cup 2024 after only 6 months of working. Therefore, playing any way is fine, as long as you win, gradually became the guiding principle that shaped the Korean coach's ship.

The spirit of never giving up

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

In the final match against Thailand, the Vietnamese team minimized the passing, but maximized the effectiveness. For example, in the opening goal, Quang Hai received the ball on the right wing, still far from the Thai goal. But just a long pass to Van Thanh to head the ball and Xuan Son to rush in, the Thai net shook. A very basic attack, in the primer of any textbook, but Thailand could not stop it.

That's also Kim's approach: efficiency matters, the ball is short or long, how many touches are combined doesn't matter.

Run, run and run some more

However, it is not that simple to play... "simply". First, you must have a good striker. Coach Kim Sang-sik is lucky to have Xuan Son and vice versa, Xuan Son is also lucky that the Vietnamese team's playing system has placed him in the core role. It is a risky bet, because from the beginning, perhaps no one thought the Brazilian striker could adapt so quickly.

Next, there is a good enough physical foundation and a reasonable pressing strategy. Half of the chances the Vietnamese team created against Thailand came from closing down and winning the ball and then organizing quick attacks. Understanding that the Thai defense did not control the ball well, coach Kim Sang-sik instructed his players to close up high, causing the visiting team's defenders to lose the ball.

The situation where Chalermsak Aukkee made a mistake, allowing Xuan Son to score, was predicted by Mr. Kim in the pre-match training session. Fast, strong and muscular are also familiar approaches of Korean coaches, in contrast to the systematic and methodical approach of Japanese coaches. In the battle between water and fire last night, the Vietnamese team won because they made fewer mistakes. Cup matches sometimes require that.

In the end, the victory came from the Vietnamese spirit. The image of Doan Ngoc Tan being fouled, kicked in the thigh and then stepped on the hand, but still standing up to play the whole match... said it all. The Vietnamese team tried very hard to make up for their shortcomings. If they were less technically skilled, they had to run more, if they were not as strong, they had to be more resilient. With 17 goals scored in the second half, the Vietnamese team rekindled the concept of "never giving up" that seemed to have faded when Mr. Park left the hot seat.

But if we play with the spirit of never giving up, no matter how difficult the return match is, it won't be a problem. The Vietnam team will still go against the wind!

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cai-gioi-cua-thay-kim-trong-ngay-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ha-dep-thai-lan-185250103074328049.htm