The Vietnamese team replaced their goalkeeper coach
Goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae said goodbye to the Vietnamese team. The former goalkeeper of the Korean team at the 2002 World Cup only signed a short-term contract with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to work at the 2024 AFF Cup. After the tournament ended, the two sides did not re-sign the contract. Mr. Lee will return home to prepare for new plans.
Goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae has made a strong impression, despite only working with the Vietnamese team for 2 months. The strong, decisive coaching style and valuable experience that Mr. Lee brings have helped goalkeepers such as Nguyen Filip, Dinh Trieu and Trung Kien improve.
Goalkeeping coach Lee Woon-jae (far right) once guarded the Korean goal at the 2002 World Cup
At AFF Cup 2024, Mr. Lee Woon-jae and coach Kim Sang-sik used Nguyen Filip and Dinh Trieu alternately in the group stage. After that, he and the coaching staff agreed to use Dinh Trieu because the goalkeeper born in 1992 had better communication with the defense, and at the same time had a safe playing style, suitable for the defensive strategy that the Vietnamese team was aiming for. .
After Mr. Lee Woon-jae returns home, coach Kim Sang-sik will propose a new goalkeeper coach when the team enters a new training cycle to prepare for the Asian Cup. Mr. Kim’s coaching team still includes Mr. Choi Won-kwon, who is considered the “right hand man” of former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors coach. According to Mr. Choi’s sharing with the media, Coach Kim Sang-sik is the one who draws the big picture, while the assistants’ job is to implement the ideas and help the players better understand tactics.
Since Coach Kim Sang-sik came to Vietnam, his coaching staff has had many changes. Some assistants come and go like Mr. Lee Woon-jae or Sang Wuk-an (physical strength coach). However, Mr. Kim affirmed that he was satisfied with the quality of his associates’ work.
In 2025, the Vietnamese team will focus on the goal of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup. Mr. Kim and his team are in the same group as Malaysia, Laos and Nepal. Vietnam’s goal is to win first place to get a ticket to the final round.
