Vietnam Team: Mr. Kim Sang Sik, don't wait for Xuan Son

Old problem needs solution

Looking at the results, the Vietnamese team's attack seems to be working very well when they scored 7 goals in the last 3 friendly matches, as well as in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, if analyzed more closely, those numbers expose an old problem that has never been completely resolved in the Vietnamese team, not only under Mr. Kim Sang Sik but also for quite a long time: ineffective attack.

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Vietnam's strikers are not scoring goals very efficiently.

Specifically, in the 7 goals in the last 3 matches, 5 were scored against Laos, more notably, Vietnam had 23 shots, 12 corner kicks... showing that Mr. Kim Sang Sik's strikers missed many good opportunities.

The strikers' squandering of opportunities has negatively affected the effectiveness of the Vietnamese team. The proof is in the first leg at Bukit Jalil, where Vietnam was defeated 4-0 by Malaysia, one of the reasons being the deadlock in the attack.

But it will not be waiting for Xuan Son

After FIFA's penalty against Malaysia, the Vietnamese team was "reborn" (it is highly likely that the AFC will award Vietnam a 3-0 win over Malaysia) and in the rematch with this opponent in March next year, in addition to Malaysia losing 7 naturalized players, the red team will also have many more advantages. Simply because at that time, coach Kim Sang Sik will be able to welcome the return of key striker Nguyen Xuan Son after recovering from injury.

In addition, if all goes well, there will also be a few other quality naturalized players to help significantly upgrade the Vietnamese team's attack.

This is a problem that Mr. Kim Sang Sik needs to solve soon, instead of waiting for Xuan Son's return.

However, it would be a mistake and extremely risky if coach Kim Sang Sik and the coaching staff just sat still and waited for Xuan Son to return as a savior for the attack problem. Because no one dares to affirm that the naturalized striker of Brazilian origin will definitely regain his original form.

The problem of Vietnam's attack is not only the lack of an individual, but also the system, the coordination of the satellites and most importantly, the coolness in front of the goal - something that is not only seen in domestic strikers these days.

Therefore, to thoroughly solve the problem of efficiency for the front line, coach Kim Sang Sik needs to take action and start from the next two matches with Nepal in the Asian Cup qualifiers.

There needs to be experimentation with personnel, new combinations and especially intensive finishing drills to improve the sharpness of existing strikers.

The Asian Cup ticket suddenly became brighter thanks to FIFA's penalty against Malaysia. But for the Vietnam team, solving the difficult problems must be decided by what Mr. Kim Sang Sik does in the present, not by looking forward to future hopes.

To be more specific, coach Kim Sang Sik needs to proactively find a solution with the people he has in hand, which is the most correct path, instead of relying on Xuan Son.