When the Vietnamese team is without coach Kim

The Vietnamese team ended the September FIFA Days with a 4-3 victory over the Hanoi Police Club. In the first practice match, the team was defeated by Nam Dinh Club, which used 10 foreign players, with a big score.

N OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS

In both of the above matches, coach Kim Sang-sik was absent because he was busy with the U.23 Vietnam team. In the match against the Hanoi Police Club (CAHN), interim coach Dinh Hong Vinh deployed the strongest lineup with Phan Tuan Tai as a left-sided center-back, Nguyen Duc Chien paired with Hoang Duc in the midfield area. Tuan Tai was still a bit disadvantaged in terms of physique and strength in the center of the defense, which had caused him to lose points under coach Troussier. However, in this practice match, Tuan Tai was rated quite well by the coaching staff for his ability to cover and support the attack.

Vietnam team (right) has 2 useful practice matches during FIFA Days in September

PHOTO: MINH TU

In the midfield, Duc Chien showed high performance and special understanding with Hoang Duc (these two factors are helping Ninh Binh FC lead the V-League 2025 - 2026). The Vietnamese team scored 4 goals thanks to Nguyen Tien Linh, Pham Tuan Hai, Trieu Viet Hung, Nguyen Van Vi - not a bad performance. The fact that Van Vi continued to extend his scoring streak (his 4th goal in 2025) is really good news for coach Kim Sang-sik. Remember, after witnessing Van Vi explode in the role of left striker at Nam Dinh Club, Mr. Kim arranged for him to play this position when the Vietnamese team met Malaysia, to take advantage of his student's comprehensive offensive and defensive abilities. Van Vi still proved his sharpness on the offensive front.

Young players get to test their strength in the national team environment

Another notable thing in the practice match with CAHN Club is that interim coach Dinh Hong Vinh boldly used new players, who were wearing the national team jersey for the first time, such as young central defenders Dinh Quang Kiet (18 years old), Tran Hoang Phuc, and Phan Du Hoc (24 years old). The young players played very hard and also left a certain mark in the central coordination situations.

An assistant to coach Kim Sang-sik said: "The most important thing in the two practice matches is not the result of winning or losing, but the assessment of the performance of the pillars, the integration level of the new players, as well as testing the tactical options, thereby completing the preparation process for the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. The Vietnamese team has reviewed and checked the force because according to the plan, the team will gather again during FIFA Days in October, playing two matches with the Nepal team in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khi-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-vang-thay-kim-185250908195649426.htm