Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'Vietnam team is confident of defeating Indonesia'

The match against Indonesia is very important in this tournament. The whole team is well prepared and ready for the match. We have been preparing for weeks, months, confident of getting 3 points against Indonesia.

I have a close relationship with coach Shin Tae-yong. We were on the same team and roomed together since we were players. He is my senior and I respect him. But now we are the head coaches of the national team. I am very proud and looking forward to tomorrow's match. It is a very important match so I put aside all my personal thoughts to achieve the best result.

Regarding the tight schedule at the ASEAN Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik shared his opinion: “I agree with coach Shin Tae-yong. This schedule makes the players tired and not in the best physical condition, but this is a concern for everyone, all teams compete in the same environment. The Vietnamese team also has to go to the Philippines immediately after the match against Indonesia. I have a rotation plan to achieve the best results.

Evaluating the opponent, coach Kim Sang-sik said: “We watched the match between Indonesia and Laos. Indonesia has many young players so they have connections in the midfield. However, the Vietnamese team is well prepared and confident of playing well in tomorrow's match. Indonesia has a long journey, is tired, and is not at 100% physical strength, so the Vietnamese team took advantage of that to pressure the opponent and win.”

“After Indonesia drew with Laos, many people thought that Vietnam could win with a big score in tomorrow’s match. I don’t deny these assessments, but I don’t care about how many goals we win. Although Indonesia is tired, the teams in this tournament are strong, with many young, enthusiastic and dedicated players. I just focus on preparing for a good result,” coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.

Regarding the Indonesian players' strong throw-in, coach Kim confidently said: "They have very good throw-in players and this is Indonesia's strength. However, the Vietnamese team is well prepared for such situations. We are determined not to concede goals from Indonesian players' throw-ins."