1. Before the return match against Nepal, coach Kim Sang Sik expressed his hope that the Vietnamese team would have a more satisfying performance when facing their opponent from South Asia.

The captain of the Vietnamese team is of course not "blowing air" but has a basis when Nepal's strengths and weaknesses have been revealed after the first leg match.

However, the heavy rain at Thong Nhat Stadium before the match prevented the Vietnamese team from organizing the style of play that the "Golden Star Warriors" wanted the best. That led to a match that was difficult to convince fans and coach Kim Sang Sik, although they still won and completed the goal of winning all 6 points against Nepal in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

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Vietnam team still ensures the goal of victory. Photo: Huu Ha

2. Looking back at the disappointing minimal victory against Nepal at Thong Nhat Stadium, to be fair, most of the players on the Vietnamese team did not perform as expected.

Coach Kim Sang Sik's team only played well in the first third of the match, then partly because of physical strength and partly to keep their feet safe, they played on par with Nepal, literally.

The counter-attack in the 79th minute, Hai Long got the ball and broke into the penalty area, but inside there was only one teammate being closely followed, forcing the winger from Quang Ninh to pass back, was the clearest example of the disjointedness in the second half of the Vietnam team.

3. To be fair, Vietnam's two unsatisfactory victories against Nepal were somewhat unlucky (especially the rematch at Thong Nhat Stadium), but that cannot be used as an excuse for the obvious disappointment.

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But, the performance was not satisfactory. Photo: Huu Ha

Except for a few faces, it feels like the rest of the Vietnamese team did not have the necessary excitement and passion in the two matches with Nepal, leading to performances that did not satisfy fans.

And for this to happen, coach Kim Sang Sik of course also bears part of the responsibility, because the decision to call and use people belongs to the 48-year-old strategist from Korea.

Not only that, after nearly a year and a half in charge, the Vietnamese team's captain has yet to build an effective and solid playing style for his team. The way the offense has difficulty scoring goals and the defense is still easily penetrated even when the opponent is only Laos, Cambodia or Nepal, the responsibility must certainly belong to Mr. Kim Sang Sik.

Saying this is not to completely blame coach Kim Sang Sik, because Vietnamese football is going through a really difficult period, with enough veterans, the young generation is not stable... But in the position of captain, it is certainly difficult for the Korean coach not to be implicated.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tuyen-viet-nam-thieu-nhiet-loi-mot-phan-o-hlv-kim-sang-sik-2453114.html