Vietnam team will be faster and stronger in AFF Cup

DIFFICULT SITUATION OF THE VIETNAMESE TEAM

After half a year of coaching the Vietnamese team, coach Kim Sang-sik is starting to shape his players’ playing philosophy. It is not yet certain whether Mr. Kim will pursue an imposing attacking style or a defensive counter-attacking style, but regardless of the formation or tactics, the Vietnamese team needs the key to open the door to victory. That is the physical foundation.

However, the last 3 matches of the Vietnamese team are showing that the players' physical strength is unstable. Coach Kim's students often play well in the first half, but lose focus in the second half, especially at the end of the match. In friendly matches with Thailand or India, Hoang Duc and his teammates started well and scored the opening goal. However, as the second half of the match progressed, the players, especially in the midfield and defense, made more and more mistakes and let the opponent turn the game around. While Thailand is still the "giant" of Southeast Asia with quality players and impressive playing style, Indonesia is full of excitement with the boost in the World Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team cannot compete in the AFF Cup with exhausted energy.

Vietnam team trains physically with GPS devices in Korea

According to coach Kim Sang-sik, the period of September and October coincides with the break between the two V-League seasons, when players only practice "dry" without actual competition. Therefore, the physical condition of the Vietnamese team is very low, inertia and delays in daily activities and training make it impossible for players to keep up with the competition intensity set by the coaching staff. Currently, the V-League has taken place in 9 rounds and this is the right time for the Vietnamese team to sprint in physical training. According to Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Anh Tu, the main goal of the Vietnamese team in the training trip to Korea is to improve physical strength. Responding to Thanh Nien in October, Mr. Tu also said that upgrading physical strength and competitive spirit is the only way for the Vietnamese team to make a difference at the AFF Cup.

FASTER, STRONGER

Coach Kim Sang-sik's selection of players has shown his determination to improve the physical strength of the Vietnamese team. Mr. Kim has crossed out the names of key players such as Ngoc Hai, Hung Dung, and Cong Phuong, because he believes that although this group of players has class and experience, they are not in good physical condition. Ngoc Hai did not run enough kilometers required (measured by GPS system) at Binh Duong Club, Hung Dung did not play with enough intensity at Hanoi Club, and Cong Phuong, although he scored 5 goals for Binh Phuoc Club in the first division, but 2 years of not playing in Japan made it impossible for coach Kim to put his trust in him.

On the contrary, players who are less famous, but run and compete enthusiastically like Ngoc Quang, Bao Toan (HAGL), Ngoc Tan, Thai Son (Thanh Hoa), Thanh Long (Hanoi Police Club), Tien Anh (The Cong Viettel ) ... were called up. Coach Kim Sang-sik wants to build a team with a lot of physical strength and energy, ready to create a physical competition with Indonesia and Thailand. Inertia is not allowed to exist in this team.

In the last 3 AFF Cups (2022, 2020, 2018), the Vietnamese team, whether they won or not, always showed a strong physical foundation, thanks to rigorous training exercises, especially in the preparation period close to the tournament. Thanks to good physical strength, the players can meet the intensity and playing style, showing stable performance (losing only 2 out of the last 22 matches at the AFF Cup) and if they lose, it is a failure due to the difference in level. Coach Kim Sang-sik probably understands the importance of physical strength, as he comes from Korea, a football country that values ​​health and fighting spirit above all else. During his playing days, Mr. Kim played as a center-back and defensive midfielder, and was not considered to be outstanding in skill, but very durable and resilient.

Yesterday (November 24), the Vietnamese team entered a fierce physical battle at the Smart AirDome Gyeongju (South Korea). Quang Hai and his teammates had to practice short and medium-distance speed exercises designed by expert Cedric Roger. The players were equipped with GPS chip shirts to help the coaching staff collect and analyze biological data and information about the running process, distance traveled, location, acceleration, heart rate, health status of each player, from which to make appropriate adjustments. Sharing with Thanh Nien, a member of the Vietnamese team affirmed that the exercises were very difficult and demanding, but the players were confident they could meet them.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-se-nhanh-va-khoe-hon-o-aff-cup-18524112420322892.htm