Vietnam Team: Coach Kim Sang Sik's strange move on the left wing

Coach Kim Sang Sik may have found the solution to the competition for the left wing position of the Vietnamese team with a strange decision to play Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Kim Sang Sik's dilemma

In the list of players called up to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, coach Kim Sang Sik faced a difficult problem: choosing who to start on the left flank between two names in high form, Van Vi and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.

Cao Pendant Quang Vinh is a pure left winger with a stable, diligent playing style, strong in attack and defense and good positioning, the type of "safe" defender that any coach would want in a 3-5-2 formation.

Van Vi is a big rival to Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.

Meanwhile, Van Vi possesses more explosive qualities, is fast, tends to move inside and is ready to create breakthroughs with strong sideline moves or smart off-ball movements, which has been proven since coach Kim Sang Sik gave him the opportunity.

With what both have shown, choosing who will start in the 3-5-2 formation preparing to play Malaysia is clearly not simple.

Unexpected solution of Vietnam team captain

In the hands of another coach, the presence of both might be redundant in the same position. But for Kim Sang Sik, this is an opportunity to test a new calculation: pulling Cao Pendant Quang Vinh to play as a left-sided center-back.

This decision seems surprising at first glance, because the player with mixed Vietnamese-French blood rarely plays as a central defender for CAHN Club since playing in V-League, and is not very tall.

But coach Kim Sang Sik may have made a new decision for Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.

However, arranging Quang Vinh to play in the above strange position is similar to the way Mr. Kim Sang Sik used Xuan Manh in the role of right center back, although he initially played best on the wing.

It is safe to believe that Quang Vinh will play well in the left-sided center-back role, because the judgment, experience and composure of the new Vietnamese player are almost beyond dispute.

This solution helps the team not have to “eliminate” any of the two players who are in good form. More importantly, this option is also a way to free up Van Vi, so that the player from Nam Dinh can fully develop his attacking ability and speed as seen before.

Of course, having a pure winger like Quang Vinh play as a central defender is a double-edged sword, especially when facing Malaysia – a team with superior aerial attack and physical strength. But if you want to make a difference, sometimes taking risks is also necessary.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-nuoc-co-la-noi-canh-trai-cua-hlv-kim-sang-sik-2407396.html