Coach Kim Sang-sik urged Vietnamese players to abandon their time-wasting habits in order to improve their professionalism.
The South Korean strategist frankly criticized the pragmatic mindset that hinders the development of domestic football, and also announced the decision not to use overage players at the 20th Asian Games.
Head coach Kim Sang-sik recently offered candid assessments of the Vietnamese players' mindset, emphasizing that eliminating time-wasting habits is key to professionalizing their style of play. The South Korean coach believes that a change in attitude will not only improve professional quality but also best respect the audience's experience.
Abandoning pragmatic thinking in order to serve the fans.
According to coach Kim Sang-sik, the habit of slowing down the pace of the game, also known as "time-wasting," is a major obstacle to the sustainable development of Vietnamese football. He believes that many players today are still too focused on immediate, pragmatic results, inadvertently neglecting the core value of football: serving the viewers. The strategist expressed his desire to see matches played at a faster pace and with minimal unnecessary interruptions.
To illustrate his point, coach Kim Sang-sik cited the football model in his home country of South Korea. In the K-League, players always take to the field with the intention of maintaining excitement throughout the match. Even when strong collisions occur on the field, players always strive to get up as quickly as possible to keep the ball rolling continuously, creating a fast-paced and professional game.
A bold strategy for the ASIAD 20 campaign.
Besides addressing the players' attitudes during matches, coach Kim Sang-sik has also made a bold decision for the 20th Asian Games in Japan this September. Instead of maximizing the use of personnel "assistance" to increase the chances of winning medals, Coach Kim has affirmed his absolute faith in the purely young players of the Vietnam U23 team.
According to the regulations for men's football at the Asian Games, each team is allowed to add a maximum of three players over 23 years old. In the past, his predecessor, Park Hang-seo, achieved great success by calling up experienced veterans like Hung Dung and Van Quyet to mentor the younger generation. However, Kim Sang-sik chose a different approach, opting not to use over-age players to create a more competitive environment, helping young players stand on their own two feet against stronger opponents.
This move demonstrates coach Kim Sang-sik's long-term vision in building a generation of players who are not only technically strong but also possess strong character and a modern approach to football. The decision to sacrifice short-term achievements in favor of the development of the U23 team is expected to bring positive changes to Vietnamese football in the near future.
