Important conversation with the Vietnamese team and the impression of the VFF President

A conversation between two men who are passionate about domestic football

That conversation was later revealed to have taken place at a time when the Vietnamese team was planning to prepare for the 2024 AFF Cup, which took place even before coach Kim Sang-sik’s team went for training in Korea in the middle of the day. November, lasting until early December 2024.

More than 2 months ago, many people found it strange that the Vietnamese team did not attend the matches on FIFA Days in November 2024. At that time, this was in the plan of VFF and coach Kim Sang-sik. Right before the Vietnamese team began the sprint towards the Asian Football Championship, President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Quoc Tuan had a meeting with coach Kim Sang-sik, Mr. Tuan expressed that it is time for the Vietnamese team to have another plan, different from the rest of regional football.

The Vietnamese team will temporarily “sacrifice” the final FIFA Days match schedule of 2024, and instead have a training trip in Korea, with lighter, more suitable opponents. The “suitability” here is that the object of friction is not too strong, because if the opponent is too strong, it can cause the entire team’s preparation work to be counterproductive. Losses that are too heavy against opponents that are too strong can make the players’ morale go down, in the context of the AFF Cup already in front of them.

In addition, the head of VFF emphasized to the Korean coach that Vietnamese football is not really professionalized at a high level like Japanese and Korean football, Vietnamese players have special things. enemy. Therefore, the preparation for the Vietnamese team before the AFF Cup must also be special, based on the criteria of ensuring good physical fitness for the entire team before the official tournament.

That is also a request from VFF in general and VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan in particular, close to the criteria for selecting a coach suitable for Vietnamese football, suitable for Vietnamese culture, agreed upon after the Coach Troussier. The relevance here is that the coach must understand what his players are like, what is different from the rest of the football world in the world, and at the same time must understand what his students need, their ability to “bear the load”. How are you physically and mentally? – From there, the coach will suggest the best training method.

From overall strategy to specific steps for the Vietnamese team

In parallel with the requirements set for coach Kim Sang-sik, before the team went to Korea for training, VFF also gave instructions to VPF, adjusting the V-League match schedule, so that the Vietnamese team It is most advantageous for Nam to participate in the AFF Cup, so that the players’ highest form falls right on the days of the AFF Cup.

Of course, top sports are inseparable from the element of luck. The Vietnamese team also had some luck during the AFF Cup competition. However, if there was no adjustment in the match schedule, perhaps the performance of most Vietnamese players at this year’s tournament would not have been so good.

Former coach of U.23 Vietnam, Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan commented: “The performance of Vietnamese players at the AFF Cup is mostly at a high level. Xuan Son in particular has been in the best condition since the beginning of the season until now, when participating in the AFF Cup. If Xuan Son plays for the Vietnamese team in another period, this player may not be in the best form as in the current period. Most of what happens at the AFF Cup is also in the calculation of the whole team”.

There is one detail that cannot be ignored: the Vietnamese team at this year’s AFF Cup is more brave than ever. Former Vice President (PCT) of VFF Duong Vu Lam commented: “Particularly in the final matches, Vietnamese players are more brave than Thai players, whose football background is theoretically at the top of the East. South Asia. The Vietnamese team was in a difficult position but not in chaos. On the contrary, we also pushed the opponent into psychological confusion and made mistakes, proving that they were confused carry, but when the opponent kicks fiercely, They fell into the trap of the Vietnamese team.”

These are things that have already been prepared. VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan once shared with coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnamese team that, in addition to professional factors, which are mandatory, players must prepare enough equipment to enter mental matches. strength at the AFF Cup. That luggage ensures 3 basic elements, which are bravery, intelligence in handling and the ability to control behavior on the field, regardless of the impact of surrounding factors and must not be let down. Any of their behavior affects the situation of the team.

Vietnamese players have done that, coach Kim Sang-sik has done that. Of course, after success, it is easy to praise the Vietnamese team and those related to the team. However, it is certain that all the things we just saw coach Kim Sang-sik’s team do at the AFF Cup did not come naturally. These things come from a long preparation process, based on the thorough orientation of domestic football managers.