Coach Kim Sang Sik's all-or-nothing gamble.
"I'm betting my entire career on winning the 2024 AFF Cup," declared coach Kim Sang Sik after the Vietnamese national team reached the final of the tournament. Prior to the tournament, the coach, born in 1976, had given an interview to Asia Today (South Korea), where he emphasized his burning desire to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Park Hang Seo, who had achieved success in Vietnam.
It's safe to say that Kim Sang Sik is a true professional. He revealed that he wrote the Vietnamese national anthem in Korean and marked the high and low notes to memorize and understand the meaning of the song. He also diligently studied Vietnamese so he could gradually communicate with the players.
Every detail like this reveals the character of Kim Sang Sik. He is a meticulous, professional person who cherishes even the smallest opportunities. Coach Kim doesn't view leading the Vietnamese national team as just a job; he strives to deeply understand Vietnamese culture, comprehend the feelings of each player, and wants to immerse himself in the undying love of football of the Vietnamese people.
That's similar to how coach Park Hang Seo started rebuilding the Vietnamese national team from scratch when he first arrived in 2017. Kim Sang Sik's job is even more difficult because the pressure to succeed is immense.
To build an empire, you need an initial impetus to create momentum for development. Coach Park Hang Seo started with that impetus in Changzhou with the Vietnam U23 team (runners-up in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship). Now, Kim Sang Sik has a similar opportunity as the Vietnam national team reaches the final of the 2024 AFF Cup.
Compared to his predecessor Park, coach Kim Sang Sik lacks experience. He has spent less than a handful of years coaching. Park was passionate and fiery, while Kim was quiet and reserved. However, their commonality lies in their professionalism. Only by starting from the smallest details can Vietnamese football gain momentum and soar to new heights.
Over the course of six months, coach Kim Sang Sik gradually built his own new framework, employing a 3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2 formation. The ball-possession style of play that the South Korean coach adopted gradually took shape in the Vietnamese national team. In this, the presence of Nguyen Xuan Son acted as a binding agent, uniting the players into a cohesive team.
That's why it's believed that success in the pivotal AFF Cup 2024 tournament could propel Vietnamese football far (as the foundation gradually takes shape). Since parting ways with coach Park Hang Seo, the Vietnamese national team has been mired in crisis. Even the 0-3 defeat against Indonesia in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at My Dinh Stadium crushed the morale of many Vietnamese players.
However, on the journey to the 2024 AFF Cup final, fans have seen the flame begin to burn in the hearts of the players. The packed stands in Viet Tri ( Phu Tho ) are proof that faith in Vietnamese football has returned. Naturally, no one wants to see that flame extinguished in the most important match against Thailand (on January 2nd and 5th, 2025).
Launchpad from Nguyen Xuan Son
In a short period of time, Xuan Son has generated a great deal of media attention in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It's not an exaggeration to say that Xuan Son has truly ignited a fire, creating a completely different image for the Vietnamese national team. Before Xuan Son's arrival, we played three very lackluster group stage matches. Now, the "Golden Dragons" have become a much better version of themselves.
Xuan Son not only reconnected the seemingly broken pieces of the Vietnamese national team, but his brilliance also served as a great motivation for the entire team to improve. Hoang Duc and Tien Linh both played much better after the Brazilian-born striker's arrival. In that team, no one wanted to be left behind.
It must be admitted that Xuan Son is on a completely different level compared to the standard of Southeast Asian football. Just look at how two Singaporean players tried to contain him but were still helpless to see that. Or in the first leg of the semi-final, the Nam Dinh FC striker executed a spectacular overhead kick that hit the crossbar of Singapore's goal, showing just how formidable this striker is.
Xuan Son is the type of player who can operate independently while also linking up with teammates very well. Even with the smallest opportunity, this striker can punish the opponent.
Public opinion across Southeast Asia is focused on Xuan Son with admiration. Indonesian fans are declaring they would readily trade Rafael Struick plus Justin Hubner for Xuan Son. Thai fans, meanwhile, yearn to possess such a formidable striker.
Xuan Son becomes even more dangerous when he places the image of the Vietnamese national team in his heart. Unlike other 100% naturalized players, Xuan Son wants to be a true "Vietnamese" player, not a foreigner.
Looking at the image of Xuan Son kissing the Vietnamese national team logo after scoring a goal, witnessing him readily fighting with a torn shirt (after being asked to leave after his teammates asked him to), or the way this striker raised his heart towards the stands… no one would think that Xuan Son is still a stranger. His love for the red jersey of the Vietnamese national team and for Vietnam itself has become a huge motivation for Xuan Son to always give more than 100% effort in every match.
Vietnam vs Thailand: A dream clash of Southeast Asian football.
Over the years, even as Indonesia grew stronger with its naturalized players, the clash between the Vietnamese and Thai national teams has remained the "super classic" of Southeast Asian football, marked by intense rivalry. Considering the 2024 AFF Cup specifically, these two teams are also the most deserving to reach the final.
Vietnam and Thailand are the teams with the best records (both winning 5 out of 6 matches) and the most goals scored. Despite experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions in the semi-finals of the 2024 AFF Cup, both teams demonstrated their resilience at crucial moments.
Many people believe that Thailand is not bringing their strongest squad to the 2024 AFF Cup. This is a misconception. The reason is that the "War Elephants" are not bringing their stars to the tournament, such as Theerathon Bunmathan (34 years old), Chanathip Songkrasin (31 years old), Sarach Yooyen (32 years old), and Teerasil Dangda (36 years old), all of whom are getting older and past their prime.
The players summoned by coach Masatada Ishii for the 2024 AFF Cup are all established members of the team's new framework (plus a few promising young players). Therefore, it can be said that the Vietnamese and Thai national teams have "emptied their pockets," calling up the best possible players for this tournament.
Over the years, the Thai national team has used quite a few "Thai expatriate" players (those born abroad but of Thai descent). These players have all developed their skills in Europe, so they possess excellent physical and technical abilities. At the 2024 AFF Cup, the "War Elephants" will have six such players.
Under coach Masatada Ishii, Thailand doesn't play a frenzied attacking style. They are even willing to play pragmatically and only explode when necessary. In particular, Thailand has demonstrated resilience and experience. They were once trailing Singapore 2-0 but still managed to come back and win 4-2. Similarly, in the semi-finals, the "War Elephants" lost 1-2 in the first leg against the Philippines but still won 3-1 in the second leg.
Thailand is aiming for a record-breaking three consecutive AFF Cup titles. The Vietnamese team is equally eager to win the title after a long period of disappointment.
Never before has the clash between the Vietnamese and Thai national teams been as eagerly anticipated as it is now. The two final matches (January 2nd and 5th, 2025) promise to be full of unpredictable twists and turns.
When asked which team would win the 2024 AFF Cup, Philippines coach Albert Capellas admitted that both Vietnam and Thailand deserved the title. He emphasized: "The team that is better and more resilient will be crowned champions."
Who will ultimately claim the glory?
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Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tuyen-viet-nam-vao-chung-ket-aff-cup-choi-tat-tay-lat-do-tuyen-thai-lan-20241231021259123.htm
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