What does coach Kim Sang-sik expect from his new recruits?; Losing to Chelsea, MU sets an unprecedented milestone
Coach Kim Sang-sik must consider alternative options and add some key players; MU suffered a 0-1 defeat when traveling to Chelsea's home field in the penultimate round of the Premier League...
Vietnam National Team: What does coach Kim Sang-sik expect from the new recruits?
Some veterans, pillars of the Vietnam team is having health and performance problems... forcing coach Kim Sang-sik to consider alternative and supplementary options.
At the same time, in the past stages of the 2024/25 season, many new and old faces appeared, as well as played very well, helping the captain of the Vietnamese team reduce a lot of worries.
We can mention Jason Quang Vinh - who has just successfully naturalized, Huu Thang (The Cong Viettel), Ly Cong Hoang Anh, Van Kien (Nam Dinh), Huu Son (Hai Phong) or Cong Phuong are the names that coach Kim Sang-sik is calculating to call up in the upcoming training session.
The opportunity to play and show off is not easy for new faces with little experience because of the high demands from coach Kim Sang-sik.
Quickly calculating, not counting Nguyen Xuan Son who is too classy, there are only a few names that can really conquer the 49-year-old coach: Dinh Trieu, Ngoc Tan, Van Vi, Hai Long and Vi Hao. These are players who show stability, discipline and adapt well to the high tactical requirements of the team.
In the upcoming training session, what Mr. Kim Sang-sik hopes for the most is the quick adaptation of the new group of players. And fortunately, most of the candidates expected to be called up are of high caliber or experienced, such as Cong Phuong, Quang Vinh, etc., so the Vietnamese team can be confident before the confrontation with Malaysia.
Dong A Thanh Hoa coach resigns
Coach Tomislav Steinbruckner announced his resignation after Thanh Hoa's 1-2 defeat to Hai Phong in round 23 of V-League 2024/25..
In round 23 of V-League, Dong A Thanh Hoa, despite their best efforts, still had to leave Lach Tray Stadium empty-handed after losing 1-2 to home team Hai Phong FC.
This is the fourth consecutive defeat for the Thanh Hoa team, following defeats against Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City Club and Nam Dinh in the last rounds. The series of poor results caused coach Tomislav Steinbruckner to announce his resignation after more than a month in charge.
In the press conference after the match with Hai Phong, coach Tomislav expressed: “First of all, I would like to apologize to the fans of Dong A Thanh Hoa. They came to the stadium to cheer enthusiastically but we lost the 4th match in a row. Right after this press conference, I will meet with the CEO to discuss the immediate termination of the contract.”
Since officially leading Thanh Hoa from round 17 to replace his colleague Velizar Popov, coach Tomislav has only brought home 1 win (against Viettel), 1 draw and lost 5 matches. However, this team has almost successfully stayed in the league.
The final decision will be made by Chairman Cao Tien Doan and CEO Cao Hoang Duc. Coach Tomislav's future will likely be announced on May 17.
Losing to Chelsea, MU creates an unprecedented bad milestone
In the early morning of May 17, MU suffered a 0-1 defeat when traveling to Chelsea's home field in the penultimate round of the English Premier League.
Marc Cucurella became Chelsea's hero with a header that brought the only goal of the match, helping the West London team beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, thereby keeping alive their hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.
This victory also extended Chelsea's unbeaten home run in the Premier League in 2025 to 10 matches (8 wins, 2 draws). Meanwhile, this is the first time in the Premier League era that MU has failed to win in 8 consecutive matches (6 losses, 2 draws).
Fans angry with Ronaldo
On the morning of May 17, Ronaldo missed Al Nassr's second consecutive match despite not being injured.
After two consecutive defeats against Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League and Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo has not played again for Al Nassr until now. According toAl-Riyadh, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, was absent due to "lack of readiness".
Without their main striker, Al Nassr were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Al Tawoon, thereby losing the right to decide in the race for a ticket to the AFC Champions League next season. Ronaldo's absence during the important period of the season made fans of the King Saud University team unhappy.
"Ronaldo earns £3.4m a week but has not helped Al Nassr win any trophies in the last 3 seasons," one fan commented. "I think he should leave the club immediately," a second person said. "It's time for Ronaldo to retire. Top-flight football is no longer suitable for him," another fan expressed his disappointment.
