Vietnam team and coach Kim are unpredictable

Thanks to being at the top of Group B,Vietnam teamHaving the right to play the second leg of the semi-finals at home means having the opportunity to take full advantage of the familiar home field, being cheered by a large home crowd, and on the basis of the favorable/unfavorable first leg results to build determination for the match that decides the ticket to the final.

That said, to understand that in the first leg away match against the Singapore team, Mr. Kim Sang-sik may not have used all of his strongest force in hand. What the Korean coach took into account was the list of players who had experience playing on artificial turf at the national team and club level in recent times to choose the starting lineup. The data on artificial turf matches includes the Vietnamese players under Mr. Park Hang-seo who held the home team to a 0-0 draw in the 2022 AFF Cup, the most recent match between the Vietnamese team and the Philippines team (1-1) and the match between the Blue Steel Nam Dinh and Tampine Rovers (3-3) in the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League Two. The draws certainly say a lot and more than anyone else, it is the players who understand the hardships and difficulties of having to play... cautiously and extremely inadequately on this outdated field?

The author believes that, with the tradition from the first day of coaching until now, Mr. Kim Sang-sik will launch a team that is not as predicted before? The Korean coach must also base on the reality of the field, especially the opponent's playing style to limit/control or disrupt the playing style, destroy all traps, and on the other hand, arrange and rotate the team in the most reasonable way in the long run towards the upcoming 2 finals.

Certainly, the lesson against the defensive-counterattacking style of play which is suitable for artificial turf and the fact that the Thais were "hit" with 2 quick goals against this tough opponent in the group stage will be taken into account by Mr. Kim.

Because he was completely rested in the match against Myanmar in the group stage, has just recovered and the requirement to prevent counter-attacks is set, defensive midfielder Ngoc Tan is probably the first player to be considered when arranging the team? Will Ngoc Tan be an important card along with other midfielders to block all plans of naturalized Japanese player Nakamura Kyoga?

If this trigger is neutralized, the Vietnam team will have the opportunity to execute all their tactical moves. In the opposite case, Van Vy or Xuan Son are the ones who must know how to "pass on experience" to their teammates to limit unfortunate and unwanted things from happening?

And if he fully recovers from his fever, it is very possible that Nguyen Fillip will return to the goal to show off his ability to defend against the home team's high balls? But looking back at the beautiful goals of the Singaporeans in the match against Thailand, they were shots with strong, precise force, impossible to defend after counter-attacks with extremely fast speed and extremely variable.

This is not an easy problem to solve, because in reality, the Vietnamese team had difficulty when being counter-attacked in matches against Laos and the Philippines. Before the first leg of the semi-final, Mr. Kim Sang-sik directly handed the captain's armband to Duy Manh, along with the unanimous shout of "Determined to win" continuing to prove the confidence of the coaching staff and teammates in this brave and experienced central defender.

But reality has shown that more than once the Hanoi FC midfielder has made crude fouls and made things difficult for his team, most recently the penalty situation in the match against Laos? Therefore, it is not certain that Duy Manh will be the starter in the first leg, a difficult match and Duy Manh is not necessarily the one with the best skills at the moment, so he must play from the start?

Furthermore, the difficult 1-1 draw against the Philippines in the group stage will certainly not allow Mr. Kim Sang-sik to field a completely new lineup? The opponent will certainly play their usual defensive-counterattacking style. The Vietnamese team will therefore have more possession than usual. The problem is not to lose the ball dangerously, not to be too passionate about attacking and let the defense slip. And the key is still who will create sudden moves that break the opponent's defense system, from the two wings, from the middle, from a situation of passing the ball behind the defense...?

Unlike the usual difficulties before, especially in the first half of the matches, after having Xuan Son in the squad, no matter how tightly marked, the Vietnamese team's chances of scoring will be many, very bright if the lines of coordination are smooth, reaching the right address. From the strength, the intelligence, the excellent passing skills of the Brazilian player that has been proven in the V-League or in the recent match against Myanmar? Not to mention the gaps, the brilliant passes that Xuan Son creates, will Vy Hao, Tuan Hai or anyone else know how to exploit them effectively as needed?

Coach Kim Sang-sik is showing new, skillful and visionary strategies when he knows for sure that the semi-finals and beyond are life-or-death matches. Therefore, there will be a suitable starting lineup but it is not easy to predict, especially from the opponent.

Chau Phu