Vietnam Team: Will Malaysia give Mr. Kim Sang Sik a headache?

1. Malaysia is currently becoming an unpredictable "unknown" in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, as this team continuously increases its strength through the policy of naturalizing players with Malay blood.

Dozens of names have appeared and will appear in the confrontation with the Vietnamese team, most notably Rodrigo Holgado, Gabriel Palmero, and Hector Hevel, who are playing football in South America and Europe.

Whether the quality of Malaysia’s new naturalized players is really as high-class as the transfer fee or information in the media remains to be seen. However, the moves from this team show that they really want to defeat the Vietnamese team in the match at Bukit Jalil on June 10.

2. The Vietnamese team has faced many teams with naturalized players in the region such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia... and it is worth mentioning that it has not been easy since Mr. Kim Sang Sik arrived.

Typically, the two matches under coach Kim Sang Sik against the Philippines were quite difficult to win (in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers) or keep 1 point (in the 2024 ASEAN Cup).

With players training in Europe, South America or Africa appearing, it helps teams carrying out naturalization campaigns to significantly improve their skills, not simply a trend.

Even for the Vietnamese team, the appearance of Xuan Son is a very obvious difference, so playing against Malaysia will certainly not be simple for coach Kim Sang Sik.

3. From a professional perspective, the Vietnamese team under Mr. Kim Sang Sik has made remarkable progress, demonstrated through high-pressing play and better match control.

But, facing Malaysia requires more than that. Mr. Kim Sang Sik needs to carefully calculate tactics, especially how to control the midfield, where naturalized players often best demonstrate their muscular strength and ability to dominate.

Besides, making full use of speed and flexibility on both flanks with the presence of Van Thanh, Van Vi or Jason Quang Vinh is the key for the Vietnamese team to create a surprise.

Another factor that Mr. Kim needs to pay attention to is the absolute concentration of the defense. Just one small mistake against the powerful naturalized strikers with diverse finishing ability of Malaysia, the Vietnam team will have to pay a very high price.

Obviously, the match with Malaysia is a big challenge for the Vietnamese team, forcing coach Kim Sang Sik to calculate carefully if he wants to gain an advantage in the race for a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-malaysia-co-lam-ong-kim-sang-sik-dau-dau-2403533.html