Vietnam team had to shoot for a long time... to get in: Mr. Kim must trust the young 'gunners'

The Vietnamese team needs a radical revolution in attack, if they don't want to once again struggle against Nepal's "rock-solid" defense in the rematch on October 14.

Vietnam team picks up 'mistakes'

After a 3-1 victory over Nepal on October 9, the Vietnamese team will face their South Asian opponent again on October 14 in the fourth match.

Although in theory, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are playing away, playing at Thong Nhat Stadium (HCMC) is an opportunity for Hoang Duc and his teammates to deliver a better performance. The "sand" grains need to be filtered out, so that the Vietnamese team can have an optimal match.

The Vietnamese team (red shirts) had a difficult match despite having one more player against Nepal.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

The biggest problem of the Vietnamese team, as Thanh Nien Newspaper mentioned in a question to coach Kim Sang-sik, is the ability to convert opportunities with only 3 goals after 25 shots (on average, 8 shots to score 1 goal).

In response, coach Kim Sang-sik analyzed that Nepal defended well, and at the same time, the Vietnamese team had to choose to play cautiously in the first half, only increasing the tempo when the opponent lost a player and lost physical strength in the second half. "Of course, if we could save it, it would be better. We have to fix the finishing," Mr. Kim told Thanh Nien Newspaper .

In fact, at the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team suffered from an inherent "disease": poor attack in the first half (only scoring 2 goals in 8 matches), but exploded in the second half with 13 goals.

The problem is that Mr. Kim's team has yet to build a smooth, well-organized, rhythmic attacking system with a complete philosophy.

Against a defensive opponent like Nepal, the Vietnamese team can only play long balls and cross the ball... However, Tien Linh is not Xuan Son. Being a wall and blocking the ball is not the 28-year-old striker's strong point.

Unlike the "do-it-all" striker like Xuan Son, Tien Linh can only run around to find space to score goals.

Thanh Nhan (number 8) brings energy in the second half

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

When the communication line between the striker of the HCM City Police Club and his teammates was cut off, the Vietnamese team's attack fell apart. Combined with the hasty handling and finishing steps when being approached, Mr. Kim's forward line is lacking both quality and courage.

If Mr. Kim continues to pursue the formula of Tien Linh playing as a striker with pillars like Hai Long and Tuan Hai supporting, the Vietnamese team will easily return to a stalemate in the rematch, and can only explode when the opponent is "out of energy".

Trust the 'strange' factor

Coach Kim Sang-sik has created a flexible Vietnamese team for the AFF Cup 2024, thanks to his courage in trusting little-known players like Ngoc Quang and Hai Long. This needs to be repeated, as Mr. Kim still has a deep squad in his hands.

In the match against Nepal, when Tien Linh was alone in the front line, closely followed by two Nepalese central defenders and unable to pass the ball back to the back line, coach Kim Sang-sik sent Gia Hung onto the field to "share the burden".

The striker born in 2000 immediately proved himself when he ran to press and put pressure on the Nepalese defense. Gia Hung was a little-known name before joining the national team, but perhaps few people know that he was highly appreciated by many coaches (including former coach Mauro Jeronimo of PVF-CAND).

Gia Hung (number 20) is an interesting name.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

With the "rough gem" Gia Hung, the Vietnamese team attacked with more novel tactics. Or when Dinh Bac (minute 84) and Thanh Nhan (minute 63) appeared, immediately new strategies were formed.

In the context that Nepal has studied Vietnam's best strikers very well, the young, potential and motivated recruits will bring the seeds of change that coach Kim Sang-sik wants to sow.

In the rematch against Nepal, Gia Hung, Dinh Bac and Thanh Nhan need (and deserve) to be given more opportunities.

For example, Thanh Nhan will bring speed and destructive power thanks to his dribbling ability on the right wing, Dinh Bac possesses the potential to handle creatively, suddenly and independently create good opportunities, while Gia Hung is still an "unknown factor" that Mr. Kim can exploit further.

When the old formula has reached its... expiry date, the Vietnam team needs a new direction from new people. The recent ineffective matches seem to be enough for coach Kim Sang-sik to see the need for change.

Still the resilient and stubborn opponent Nepal, but in the match on October 14, the Vietnamese team will bring a different look.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-sut-mai-moi-vao-ong-kim-phai-tin-tuong-nhung-tay-sung-tre-185251012122042919.htm