Why is the Vietnamese team the 'king of the second half' at the AFF Cup 2024?

Vietnam team slow to warm up?

The Vietnamese team is experiencing one of the strangest AFF Cup 2024 in terms of statistics. Despite reaching the final, coach Kim Sang-sik's players have only scored 1 goal in the first half in the past 7 matches.

Specifically, the Vietnamese team failed to score in the first half of the matches against Laos, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar (group stage), Singapore (first leg of semi-finals) and Thailand (first leg of finals). The only goal that Quang Hai and his teammates scored in the first half of this year's tournament appeared in the second leg of the semi-finals against Singapore. However, this was also a goal that came in the last minutes, when Xuan Son successfully executed a penalty.

Vietnam team is always dangerous in the second half

However, the Vietnamese team still reached the final thanks to their unparalleled strength in the second half, with 17 goals. No team scored as effectively in the second half, especially in the last 20 minutes of the match (8 goals) as Mr. Kim and his team.

That has shaped the identity of the Vietnamese team. Starting slowly, even being pressured in the first half of the match, but playing better and better towards the end to eventually "swallow" the opponent. That identity comes from the reasonable tactics of coach Kim Sang-sik, helping the Vietnamese team, although not a team with overwhelming or eye-catching attacks, to be very difficult to defeat.

Master Kim's tactics

During his time as coach of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (the only team Kim has ever coached), coach Kim Sang-sik adopted a strategy of finishing off opponents in the second half. More than half of Jeonbuk's goals came in the second half, with many coming after the 65th minute. The final 20 minutes of a match was Jeonbuk's favorite time under Kim.

When coaching the Vietnamese team, the same scenario repeated itself and the habit of scoring in the second half came from coach Kim Sang-sik's different approach.

The Korean coach always uses the first half to probe and break the opponent's strength. Whether the Vietnamese team plays high pressing or deep defense, this half is the time for coach Kim Sang-sik's students to play solidly and understand how their opponents operate.

At the same time, the Vietnamese team also planned to play a tight game, ready to put their opponents in a physical race. For example, in the second leg of the semi-finals (against Singapore) and the first leg of the final (Thailand), coach Kim Sang-sik used the midfielder duo Ngoc Quang and Vi Hao with the aim of putting pressure from the front line to defend from afar, making it difficult for the opponent to deploy the ball. Although their ball handling was not neat, Ngoc Quang and Vi Hao were both very active runners (always ranked first in endurance tests), had good stamina and were good at following the ball, causing the opponent to lose their physical strength.

Chau Ngoc Quang had a memorable tournament

Once the opponent's playing style is established, the second half is the time to unleash their full potential. At this time, attacking stars like Tien Linh and Quang Hai appear.

Mr. Kim's students have exploited Thailand's mistakes to score goals, or crushed Singapore's ability to fight back with lightning-fast and effective counterattacks. In the last 3 matches, the Vietnamese team held the ball for less than 40% of the time, but created overwhelming opportunities, and of course, we won all 3.

To play this tactic, the Vietnamese team needs many factors to appear at the same time. First, the players' physical strength has improved after 10 days of training in Korea. The players can run hard and enthusiastically until the last seconds, for example, the 2 goals scored against Singapore in the 90+11 and 90+14 minutes. No tactic can be developed without physical strength. Mr. Kim has "diagnosed" accurately.

Next is the uniformity and flexibility in the use of people. Coach Kim Sang-sik has brought many surprises in the use of people, in which the core principle is that there is no gap between the main squad and the reserve squad. Stars like Quang Hai, Hoang Duc, Nguyen Filip can also be on the reserve squad, or Ngoc Quang, Vi Hao, Dinh Trieu, although less famous, still play the role of pillars. For Mr. Kim, it is only suitable or not, the rest is not divided into different levels. Thanks to that, the Vietnamese team is a united and unpredictable collective, when everyone feels like they are part of the collective.

Finally, the "Vietnamese spirit" has burned brightly again. "The Vietnamese team is a warrior, and warriors never give up. We will try our best until the last second," Ngoc Quang affirmed. In the final match at Rajamangala Stadium, don't rush to any conclusions before the final whistle has blown.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-la-vua-hiep-2-o-aff-cup-2024-185250104201745359.htm