U23 Vietnam: Coach Kim Sang Sik and his mission beyond the championship

Coach Kim Sang Sik's mission at the U23 Southeast Asian tournament, in addition to defending the championship, is to create a fulcrum for the Vietnamese team with adjustments from... U23 Vietnam.

From the limitations of the Vietnam team

After more than a year in charge, coach Kim Sang Sik, although he and the Vietnamese team won the 2024 ASEAN Cup, behind the glory, there are still many questions about the team's playing style. Specifically, the lack of coherence in tactical operations, difficulty in controlling the game and the disjointedness between the lines.

Under Kim Sang Sik, the Vietnamese team remains loyal to the defensive counter-attacking style inherited from his predecessor Park Hang Seo. However, it is regrettable that this style of play has not been upgraded in terms of variability and control as seen in the 2018-2022 period.

Vietnam team under coach Kim Sang Sik still has many limitations.

The team’s attacks were not very innovative, counter-attacking individually or taking advantage of the opponent’s mistakes – instead of being the product of a systematic tactical system. The midfield lacked cohesion, and the ability to control the game was almost non-existent, especially when the Vietnamese team faced opponents of equal or higher level.

The connection between the lines – especially the midfield and attack in coach Kim Sang Sik’s scheme – has not improved significantly. When the Vietnamese team loses the ball, they often lack someone to recover it; when they have the ball, they lack someone to connect and develop. At the same time, the defense is still a concern, even when facing opponents of a lower level.

Can Mr. Kim Sang Sik fix U23 Vietnam?

Leading the U23 Vietnam team at the U23 Southeast Asian Championship is considered an ideal test for the tactical improvements that coach Kim Sang Sik hopes to apply in the long term. This is also where the Korean captain has more opportunities to rebuild the team's playing style foundation, because the young force is easy to shape and less affected by old habits.

In fact, the call-up of a young squad with many new faces but rich in technique and ambition shows that Mr. Kim has somewhat changed his thinking about using people. Especially, in the midfield of U23 Vietnam, the captain has more quality options with mobile players, willing to press and capable of controlling the game. That opens up the hope that he will create a more proactive, more modern playing style - something that the Vietnamese team has not yet demonstrated clearly.

Hopefully coach Kim Sang Sik will create a more perfect U23 Vietnam in terms of playing style.

Hopefully, from U23 Vietnam, Coach Kim Sang Sik will successfully build a cohesive and synchronized playing system from the back to the front as well as improve the ability to control and impose the match, defensive capacity... to lay the foundation for the rejuvenation process in the near future for the Vietnam team.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u23-viet-nam-hlv-kim-sang-sik-va-su-menh-ngoai-chuc-vo-dich-2421678.html