Coach Klinsmann: 'Vietnam is not weak'

South Korea: Before the friendly match in Suwon, coach Jurgen Klinsmann expressed his respect for Vietnam and affirmed that South Korea needs to face diverse opponents.

*South Korea vs. Vietnam: 6 PM, Tuesday, October 17th, on VnExpress.

"I don't think Vietnam is weak at all," coach Klinsmann said at a press conference on the afternoon of October 16. "I plan to approach this as an official match to assess how well the team has improved and what areas need improvement."

The German coach believes that South Korea could face Vietnam in official tournaments, such as the Round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup or the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Therefore, the players will gain an understanding of their opponent through this friendly match to be ready for the match in official competitions.

Coach Klinsmann at the press conference before the South Korea - Vietnam match on October 16. Photo: Yonhap — Coach Klinsmann at the press conference before the South Korea - Vietnam match on October 16. Photo: *Yonhap*

Klinsmann's stance this time differs from his press conference in September. At that time, he argued that South Korea needed to face stronger opponents instead of Vietnam. Public opinion in South Korea also underestimated Vietnam and believed that their team might not learn much from this friendly match.

In the past, South Korea has faced Vietnam six times. They won five and lost one (0-1 in 2003, in the 2004 Asian Cup qualifiers with the only goal scored by Pham Van Quyen). Currently, South Korea is ranked 26th in FIFA, 69 places higher than Vietnam.

In reality, South Korea didn't have many options because European and South American teams were busy competing in Euro 2024 or World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Furthermore, choosing Vietnam also helped South Korea adapt to similar opponents from Southeast Asia. In the second round of World Cup 2026 qualifiers, they were in the same group as Thailand, and in the group stage of the 2024 Asian Cup, they were in the same group as Malaysia.

Coach Klinsmann said he plans to field a strong team and make the most of the six substitutions. "We have to maintain continuity and consistency in the squad," he said. "Another important thing is to give opportunities to those who don't get much playing time."

Regarding the squad, the German coach said that the availability of captain Son Heung-min and midfielder Hwang In-beom is still open. Both will be tested one last time after this afternoon's training session before the coaching staff makes a decision on whether or not to use them. Coach Klinsmann also added that even if fitness is not guaranteed, the best players must still join the training camp to fully understand the philosophy and goals. This is only South Korea's fourth training camp in 2023, lasting about 40 days, so he wants to make the most of the time.

Prior to this match, Vietnam had just suffered two consecutive defeats against China and Uzbekistan, both with a score of 0-2. Meanwhile, South Korea defeated the strong African representative, Tunisia, 4-0.

Klinsmann, born in 1964, is a legendary German striker who scored 47 goals in 108 appearances for the national team, winning the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996. His club career included many prestigious clubs such as Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich, scoring 232 goals in 514 matches.

In his coaching career, he has managed the German and US national teams, as well as two clubs: Bayern Munich in the 2008-2009 season and Hertha BSC in the 2019-2020 season. Klinsmann was appointed by the Korea Football Association (KFA) to replace Paulo Bento, on a contract from March 2023 to July 2026, with the most important task being to qualify for the 11th consecutive World Cup in 2026.

Hieu Luong

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