Coach Kim Sang Sik and the task of renewing the Vietnam team

Vietnam's midfield is likely to play a key role in the match against Malaysia.

Take the midfield as the highlight

Unlike coach Troussier, the Korean strategist is more clever when he carefully studied the success of his compatriot Park Hang Seo and almost applied a defensive - counter-attacking style of play for the red team. That is one of the factors that helped the Vietnamese team succeed at the ASEAN Cup 2024, along with the outstanding factor on the attack line, Nguyen Xuan Son.

Some fans say that watching the Vietnamese team play is not as “fun” as before. However, for coach Kim Sang Sik, that is a matter for the future, first he needs results and regaining the trust of fans. The achievement at the ASEAN Cup 2024 shows that coach Kim Sang Sik is on the right track.

The upcoming match against Malaysia is of great value. 3 points will help the red team enter the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, but how will they play, will it be attractive or not; or will the Vietnamese team remain loyal to the defensive-counterattacking style that has created a brand for coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnamese team? The answer will be available on June 10.

While the public is mentioning the names Cong Phuong and Pennant Quang Vinh as factors that could create surprises for the upcoming match, coach Kim Sang Sik seems to have other calculations.

The names Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, Duc Chien, Minh Khoa, Van Khang, Ngoc Quang and Hai Long were discussed a lot by the Korean coach during training sessions. It seems that he wants the midfield of the Vietnamese team to play a decisive role in the upcoming important match.

What most of them have in common is that they are familiar with Coach Kim Sang Sik's training methods and can quickly adapt to the playing philosophy he desires.

Duc Chien will likely become the top choice in the midfield circle. Possessing a good physique (1m84 tall), Duc Chien is highly appreciated for his ability to compete and collide. Chien's teammate at Viettel , Khuat Van Khang, is even more impressive in V-League. With coach Kim Sang Sik calling up both real left-backs, Van Vi and Pennant Quang Vinh, Van Khang will no longer have to play in a position other than his strengths like before. That is an opportunity for him to maximize his role in midfield or left wing forward.

The Vietnamese midfield scored 27 goals at both club and national level in the 2024/2025 season - an impressive number, more than the strikers. There is no reason not to hope that they will explode in Malaysia to bring home 3 points for the Vietnamese team.

What's new with Coach Kim Sang Sik?

The Vietnamese team won the 2024 ASEAN Cup with a defensive-counterattacking style of play. This style of play is suitable for the current personnel of the red team. But surely the opponents have dissected the tape and analyzed coach Kim Sang Sik and his team very carefully. To be more successful, the first thing is 3 points in the confrontation with Malaysia. In the long term, the Vietnamese team must reach the continental level as the fans expect. Coach Kim Sang Sik knows this and is making efforts.

Since taking office in mid-2024, Coach Kim Sang Sik has made his mark in the way he builds his playing style and selects his personnel. The current playing style of the Vietnamese team is considered modern. The ball is deployed simply, putting efficiency first, especially when Nguyen Xuan Son is present, the Vietnamese team seems to double its strength.

However, not only experts, but also coach Kim Sang Sik himself really wants the Vietnamese team to be different from before, conquering new heights. But experts believe that there will likely not be many new points in the match against Malaysia. Therefore, coach Kim Sang Sik needs to prove that he came to Vietnam to improve the team, not just limit it to the regional tournament.

How to make the Vietnamese team's attack more effective has been a long-standing issue and it is difficult to find a solution other than using naturalized players. Along with that, coach Kim Sang Sik also needs to innovate and diversify the attacking style of the Vietnamese team.

Although the Vietnamese team won the 2024 ASEAN Cup, their playing style is still monotonous. Coach Kim Sang Sik's playing style still focuses more on counter-attacking defense than trying to control and dominate the game. Playing against strong opponents like Indonesia or Thailand, this style of play is even more evident.

Those are the limitations that need to be overcome in the upcoming confrontation with Malaysia.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/the-thao/202505/hlv-kim-sang-sik-va-nhiem-vu-lam-moi-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-bdf1550/