Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'Whether Thailand or the Philippines, the Vietnamese team is still ready to win'

After the 3-1 victory over Singapore at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of December 29, coach Kim Sang-sik shared with the media.

“I am very happy to have achieved the goal of reaching the ASEAN Cup final. I would like to thank the fans who came to the stadium to cheer and help the Vietnamese team win today.

We played 6 matches and did our best. The players followed the tactics that I and the coaching staff gave them. They put in sweat, tears and blood. This is the beginning, and hopefully we will have many successes in the future."

Regarding Ho Tan Tai's injury, coach Kim Sang-sik said: "Tomorrow, Tuan Tai will be re-examined for his injury. He is currently in a lot of pain. All Vietnamese players have the same value, and it would be a big loss to lose Tan Tai. Hopefully he will not suffer a serious injury."

Explaining why Tuan Hai is rarely used, Coach Kim Sang-sik said: “The most difficult thing for a head coach is to choose 11 players in the starting lineup for each match. After the match, I always analyze to choose the best player. Tuan Hai trained well, but we have many players who are always ready. Hopefully Tuan Hai will have the opportunity to play in the final match.”

In the second leg of the semi-final against Singapore, for the first time, the Vietnamese team scored a goal in the first half. Coach Kim Sang-sik was very happy: “Finally, we scored a goal in the first half. I am very satisfied. The team had a difficult first half, there were some situations but missed. Thanks to the goal in the first half, we played easier in the second half, had a balance in attack and defense to win the match in the end.”

After reaching the final, the Vietnamese team will meet the winner of the remaining semi-final between Thailand and the Philippines. “Whether it is Thailand or the Philippines, the Vietnamese team is ready and aims to win against any opponent. We have the best tactics for the final.

“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. All possibilities are open. The Vietnamese team will analyze and prepare to meet all opponents, demonstrate their strength and win the championship,” coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed./.