Coach Kim Sang Sik at ASEAN Cup 2024 - Photo: THANG NGUYEN
At 8:00 p.m. on June 10 ( Hanoi time), the Vietnamese team will play Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium in the first leg of Group F of the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. The result of this match will greatly affect the chance of winning a ticket to the final round, so coach Kim Sang Sik admitted that this is the most important match of 2025 for him and his students.
Coach Kim's difficulty
Nearly 6 months after winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the Vietnamese team has not been able to find many new players. Coach Kim Sang Sik called Nguyen Cong Phuong back to the team, but Cong Phuong had to leave midway due to injury.
Nguyen Van Toan, Bui Vi Hao, Vu Van Thanh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Nguyen Thanh Binh also could not be called up to the national team this time for the same reason. This should have been an opportunity for the Vietnamese team to introduce new players, but the nature of the match, tactical perspective and safe habits did not allow coach Kim to do so.
The Korean strategist only called up Nguyen Quoc Viet, Nguyen Duc Chien, and Pham Ly Duc, players who have been called up to the national team (but have not played yet). The only new face and the one with the most expectations is Vietnamese-American player Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, a defender.
Coach Kim’s personnel experiment this time was therefore not really successful. 6 months have passed and the team’s structure is still the same. The advantage is that the team’s playing style is less disrupted thanks to Mr. Kim’s experienced personnel playing together and smoothly. The disadvantage is that it can make it easy for opponents to predict, if the team does not have enough surprise elements on the attack front.
Southeast Asian teams can now know the strikers coached by Kim Sang Sik by heart. But that is not the cause for concern. The attack line, which has not been renewed but is showing signs of slowing down, is the biggest problem for the Vietnamese team.
There, Nguyen Tien Linh has only scored 1 goal in the last 10 matches in the V-League. Dinh Thanh Binh is only playing in the First Division. Pham Tuan Hai is better, scoring 4 goals and 3 assists in the last 6 matches in the V-League, but it is only a small sign of improvement after more than half a lackluster season and being affected by injuries.
The recent internal match with the U22 team became an alarming signal for the Vietnamese team's attack, when the strikers were silent, and had to rely on the brilliance of the midfielders to win.
Tien Linh, who is expected to take over the attack line from Xuan Son, is in poor form - Photo: THANG NGUYEN
Waiting for courage to speak up
However, difficulties are the time to test one's mettle. From a place with little expectation, Coach Kim Sang Sik has revived the Vietnamese team from the ruins of the post-Philippe Troussier era, bringing us back to the number 1 position in Southeast Asia.
The Vietnamese team defeated Thailand and became the Southeast Asian champion. It is not individual factors, but the solidarity and collective will that create the strength of Coach Kim's army. Coach Kim not only knows how to promote collective strength but also leaves his own mark with his perspective on using people and his ability to adapt and make reasonable substitutions. In the current difficult human resources context, he needs to continue to promote his talent.
Cohesion is something that Malaysia lacks compared to the Vietnamese team. A team that failed to get past the group stage of the ASEAN Cup, changed its head coach twice in less than half a year, and was reinforced with unproven naturalized players is not necessarily a match for the Vietnamese team.
Head-to-head history is in favor of the Golden Star Warriors, as we have won all 5 recent matches in official competitions. The last time Vietnam did not win was the 2-2 draw against Malaysia in the first leg of the 2018 AFF Cup final, which was also the most recent away match at Bukit Jalil Stadium.
A draw can therefore be considered a possible goal that the Vietnamese team can aim for. This match also marks a special occasion for coach Kim Sang Sik, as exactly one year ago this time, he made his debut for the Vietnamese team with a 3-2 victory over the Philippines in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
Nguyen Huy Hung: Vietnam team needs confidence and focus
Nguyen Huy Hung, the Vietnamese player who scored in the 2-2 draw with Malaysia in the first leg of the 2018 AFF Cup final at Bukit Jalil Stadium, sent advice to coach Kim Sang Sik's players ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
"The feeling when playing at Bukit Jalil Stadium that year was very special. As the away team, I felt both pressured and excited when there were tens of thousands of spectators cheering on me in the stands. I wish the current players of the Vietnam team to play with focus and confidently enjoy the wonderful atmosphere on the field," Huy Hung told Tuoi Tre Online .
He continued: "Malaysia currently has many foreign-born players who have just been naturalized. It sounds big, but we don't know the true level of these players. They are also very new to the team and haven't had much time to integrate their playing style. We respect Malaysia, but that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of our opponents."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-dau-malaysia-phep-thu-cho-tai-nang-cua-hlv-kim-sang-sik-20250608203734267.htm
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