The fateful encounter of 3 Vietnamese national team coaches: Park Hang-seo, Troussier, and Kim Sang-sik
The 2000 Japan-South Korea friendly match witnessed a fateful reunion between three strategists who have led or are currently leading the Vietnamese national football team.
Football has always contained invisible bonds, and the story of the three most recent coaches of the Vietnamese national team is a prime example. Few would have guessed that, before arriving in Vietnam, Park Hang-seo, Philippe Troussier, and Kim Sang-sik all appeared together in a fiery match in Tokyo at the end of 2000.
The historic clash in Tokyo in 2000
On December 20, 2000, the Tokyo National Stadium became the focal point of Asian football with a friendly match between two rivals, Japan and South Korea. This was not just an annual match, but also a gathering place for figures who would shape the future of Vietnamese football for more than two decades to come.
At that time, Philippe Troussier was at the height of his power, leading the Japanese national team as the reigning Asian Cup champions. The French strategist had a star-studded squad at his disposal, including Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura. On the other side, Park Hang-seo served as the interim coach of the South Korean national team while awaiting the official appointment of the new head coach, Guus Hiddink.
The fateful red card for young center-back Kim Sang-sik.
Notably, the third figure involved in this relationship was Kim Sang-sik – then a promising 24-year-old center-back. He was trusted by coach Park Hang-seo to be named in South Korea's starting lineup. However, the match unfolded with a dramatic turn of events for him personally.
In the 25th minute, with South Korea leading 1-0 thanks to a goal from Ahn Jung-hwan, Kim Sang-sik was forced to commit a foul from behind to stop striker Atsushi Yanagisawa in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. The referee did not hesitate to show a direct red card, sending the central defender off.
Despite playing with ten men for most of the match, Coach Park Hang-seo's team bravely held off Coach Troussier's star-studded squad. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, a result that accurately reflected the evenly matched strength between the two leading football nations in the region at the time.
Three chapters in the history of Vietnamese football.
The thread of destiny, which began in Tokyo in 2000, extended to Hanoi, where all three figures successively took over the hot seat at the Vietnamese national team, writing different chapters in history.
Park Hang-seo (2017-2023) ushered in the most glorious era with a series of titles from runner-up in the U23 Asian Championship to winning the 2018 AFF Cup and two consecutive SEA Games gold medals. Afterward, Philippe Troussier (2023-2024) succeeded him with a new football philosophy, although this period was marked by many ups and downs and pressures.
Currently, Kim Sang-sik – who once received a red card under coach Park – is at the helm of Vietnamese football. He has quickly made a strong mark with the AFF Cup championship and the SEA Games 33 gold medal, continuing the successful legacy of his predecessors.
Looking back at history, from a friendly match 24 years ago, the interplay between a renowned coach, a substitute, and a young player who made a mistake has created a remarkable story. All of them, in one way or another, have become indispensable pieces in the journey of Vietnamese football's rise to prominence.
