Coach Polking is secretly helping Kim Sang-sik.

Coach Polking's success with Hanoi Police FC has created an ideal professional foundation for the Vietnamese national team to move forward.

Hanoi Police FC (CAHN) has returned to the V-League throne after a three-year wait, with a convincing performance: winning 19 out of 23 matches, leading the second-placed team by 11 points, and having the potential to break Hanoi FC's points record (set in 2018) if they win by more than 4 points in the remaining 3 matches. However, the most valuable factor in Alexandre Polking's team's championship journey lies in their playing style. CAHN FC displayed a superior style of play compared to the V-League average, with fluid ball control, beautiful passing, and well-organized attacks using programmed one-two combinations. The key to CAHN FC's superiority lies in the fact that, despite having talented foreign players (Leo Artur, Alan Sebastiao, and Stefan Mauk), their domestic players still made a distinct mark and were not overshadowed.

Similar to the 2018-2022 period, when the V-League championship went to a team with a clear, dominant playing style, the Vietnamese national team obviously benefited. Only when placed within a well-structured, logically-thinking overall playing style can players reach their optimal level. Like Hanoi FC in 2018-2019, CAHN currently boasts a large number of national team players, such as Nguyen Filip, Viet Anh, Van Hau, Quang Hai, Dinh Trong, Thanh Long, and Dinh Bac. CAHN's domestic players have progressed rapidly under coach Polking, with Dinh Bac, Quang Hai, and Thanh Long being the most prominent examples.

Coach Polking was honored by his players after winning the V-League championship.

PHOTO: MINH TU

Dinh Bac has risen to become the top Vietnamese scorer in the V-League this season with 10 goals, scored in just the last 7 matches. From being strong only in his dribbling and breakthrough abilities, Dinh Bac has become a perfect, all-around attacking player, excelling in both teamwork and individual skill, thanks to being placed in a suitable system by coach Polking. The Brazilian strategist has molded his pupil from his ball-receiving posture, his ability to "sense" space, exploit space, and his minimalist finishing to become a formidable striker. Quang Hai has also made a strong comeback with 5 goals in 32 matches this season. Coach Polking has effectively utilized Quang Hai's one-touch passing ability, intelligent observation, and unconventional ball handling to create a dynamic attacking threat behind the striker. As for Thanh Long, Coach Polking has molded him into a versatile midfielder who can recover, intercept, and participate in the development of play with his excellent ball-cutting and distribution skills.

The stars of CAHN FC played impressive football, and conversely, Coach Polking's superior control system optimized the role of each player. The Brazilian coach's skill lies in placing his players in the right positions. Each training session, though not strenuous, is always rich in tactical information, where every movement, ball reception, and maneuver of his players is meticulously studied by the former Thailand national team coach. Coach Polking's authority is quietly built upon his tactical caliber and his dedicated work.

At the national team level, coaches only have a total of 2-3 months of work per year with players (divided into 4 or 5 training camps). With such a short training period, Coach Kim's job (or national team coaches in general) is to make the best use of the available human resources. Shaping the players' mindset, mentality, and tactical vision is the responsibility of the club coaches, who act as "extended arms" helping Coach Kim elevate the national team from afar. CAHN Club has Polking, The Cong Viettel has Velizar Popov, and Hanoi FC has Harry Kewell. These are all skilled "generals" who are quietly helping the Vietnamese national team become stronger.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-polking-dang-am-tham-giup-ong-kim-sang-sik-18526052021245864.htm