Vietnam team list: Coach Kim Sang Sik refreshes the defense

Coach Kim Sang Sik is likely to test some new elements for the Vietnamese national team's defense during the training session to prepare for the two matches against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Question marks of the pillars

Since coach Kim Sang Sik took over, the Vietnamese national team's defense has been built by the Korean strategist based on familiar, experienced names such as Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung, Duy Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh...

However, it is very likely that in the upcoming training session, coach Kim Sang Sik will deploy experimental plans in defense to help the Vietnamese team become more solid.

Many key players in the Vietnamese national team's defense are having problems with their form.

The reason why the captain of the Vietnamese team has to make changes is simply because among the central defenders who are regularly used at present, only Bui Tien Dung has maintained stable performance, the remaining names are a bit unstable or injured.

These problems forced coach Kim Sang Sik to think about renewal when he understood that if he continued to put absolute trust in the old framework, the risk of repeating familiar mistakes was very high, and the Vietnamese team would find it difficult to go far.

Where to refresh

In that context, the solution that coach Kim Sang Sik considered was to give opportunities to young faces from U23 Vietnam when there are many impressive defensive players.

Names like Ly Duc, Hieu Minh and Nhat Minh have played steadily in V-League as well as youth tournaments, promising to bring new vitality to the Vietnamese team.

Of course, this is not the first time Mr. Kim Sang Sik has given new players a chance or experiment, because he previously called Dang Van Toi, Hoang Phuc, and Quang Kiet to observe and evaluate them in the most recent training session in September.

To create opportunities for U23 Vietnam players to be promoted for testing

The bold deployment of young players in the national team of course contains many concerns. Their international experience is limited, and they have not had much contact with high-level opponents. However, to create healthy competition in the Vietnamese national team, as well as prepare for the long-term future, this is a necessary decision.

Fortunately for coach Kim Sang Sik, the upcoming match against Nepal is considered an ideal opportunity to experiment. A not-so-strong opponent, a low-pressure setting, and a precious time for the Vietnam captain to observe the effectiveness of the changes.

If the new, young faces can take advantage of the opportunity, this will be a turning point for the Vietnamese national team's defense to be rebuilt, gradually reducing dependence on the veteran group that is no longer able to maintain the same form as in the peak period.

In the context of needing changes, the Vietnamese team will also have to innovate and start from the place that is considered the safest shield - the central defenders.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/danh-sach-tuyen-viet-nam-hlv-kim-sang-sik-lam-moi-hang-thu-2447021.html