Special record awaits coach Kim Sang-sik

PERFECT STATISTICS

In May 2024, Mr. Kim Sang-sik was officially appointed by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) as head coach of the Vietnam national team and U.23 Vietnam, replacing his predecessor, Philippe Troussier. However, it was not until 1 year later that the Korean coach directly held the sand table and directed the U.23 Vietnam team in an official tournament. However, he quickly brought success. In Indonesia 4 months ago, he and his students won the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship after 4 wins against opponents Laos, Cambodia (group stage), Philippines (semi-finals) and Indonesia (final). After that, the U.23 Vietnam team continued to defeat Bangladesh, Singapore and Yemen in the 2026 U.23 Asia qualifiers. In the opening match of the 33rd SEA Games, Van Khang and his teammates once again won all 3 points when rematching Laos.

Kỷ lục đặc biệt chờ HLV Kim Sang-sik- Ảnh 1. — Coach Kim Sang-sik is having success with the Vietnam U.23 team.

Coach Kim Sang-sik has won 8 of his recent matches, achieving a 100% success rate. The U.23 Vietnam team has scored 14 goals and conceded 3. Perhaps, the style of play that Mr. Kim is building is somewhat pragmatic, not enough to satisfy the fans. However, the effectiveness that the former captain of the Korean team brings is indisputable.

What advantage does U.23 Vietnam have?

The lucky draw brought many advantages to the U.23 Vietnam team. First, the young "Golden Star Warriors" faced opponents of increasing difficulty, facing Laos first and then Malaysia. The U.23 Vietnam team therefore had the right to hide their cards and not field their strongest lineup. Next, before the final match of the group stage, we had 7 days off, while Malaysia only had 3 days, giving us a physical advantage. Thanks to that, Coach Kim Sang-sik also let the whole team "release camp" on the afternoon of December 5 to do free activities, thereby regenerating energy, looking forward to the next matches.

In case of winning the top spot in Group B, the U.23 Vietnam team will avoid the host Thailand, the team most likely to be ranked number 1 in Group A. Of course, to reach the top, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team need to defeat all opponents, but meeting the host, the top candidate for the gold medal in the final match is always better than facing an early clash in the semi-finals. If they continue to maintain their winning streak, leading the U.23 Vietnam team to the final of the 33rd SEA Games and then winning the gold medal, coach Kim Sang-sik will create an "unprecedented" record in the history of Vietnamese football. He will become the first coach with the U.23 Vietnam team to have a 100% winning rate in his first year leading the team in official tournaments, and at the same time, close a perfect year with achievements: Southeast Asian championship, winning a ticket to the U.23 Asian Finals and the 33rd SEA Games gold medal.

After a failed SEA Games in Cambodia, the pressure to win the gold medal for Van Khang and his teammates is now huge. This is partly reflected in the unconvincing victory in the opening match. Therefore, the perfect statistics that coach Kim Sang-sik is creating are also a motivation and a spiritual support for himself and his students. To turn this 8-match winning streak into a record number of 9, 10, and 11 matches, the upcoming match against Malaysia will be a decisive turning point. With many advantages in hand, coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to help the U.23 Vietnam team continue to win all 3 points, especially when this young generation of Malaysian players is not rated too highly (eliminated from the group stage of the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament 2025).