Vietnam team: Coach Kim Sang-sik uses ‘team 2’ to still win against Laos?

Coach Kim Sang-sik’s choice

The Thai team defeated Timor Leste by 10 goals without defeat on the opening day of the 2024 AFF Cup (evening of December 8 at Hang Day Stadium), despite not fielding a strong squad. Coach Masatada Ishii only uses young stars mixed with seniors, combining experiments with a number of positions. That is a familiar path that championship candidates often choose at the AFF Cup, which coach Kim Sang-sik can apply in the match between Vietnam and Laos at 8:00 p.m. today (December 9).

With the density of competition at the AFF Cup, plus the most important match in the group (against Indonesia) will take place 5 days later, coach Kim Sang-sik is forced to calculate.

The Korean coach admitted that the Vietnamese team has thought about the match against Indonesia to prepare their playing style and fighting tactics from now on. This means that the competition with Laos will most likely be a test of fire for many faces who rarely appear on the field.

Based on coach Kim Sang-sik’s usage in the last 5 matches within the FIFA Days framework (2 matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, 3 friendly matches against Russia, Thailand, and India), it can be predicted The Vietnamese team will not change much structure in defense. The goalkeeper position and three central defenders can be kept the same, focusing on experienced factors such as Nguyen Filip, Do Duy Manh, Bui Hoang Viet Anh and Nguyen Thanh Chung.

Change will only come from the two sides, where Khuat Van Khang or Nguyen Van Vi (left wing) and Truong Tien Anh (right wing) enter the field. In the midfield, Nguyen Hoang Duc is sure to be selected, alongside Doan Ngoc Tan or Le Pham Thanh Long.

On the offensive line, Nguyen Tien Linh will play the role of center forward. As a wing striker, young striker Bui Vi Hao is likely to continue to be given opportunities on the right wing, alongside Pham Tuan Hai or Dinh Thanh Binh on the left. In general, coach Kim Sang-sik’s priority is “straightening up”: interweaving the pillars with the reserve team to create a balanced squad, ensuring stability and good attack power.

Dynamics of the ‘secondary double’

The Vietnamese team will still be worth watching even if they use a secondary squad. Because the reserve players understand that the competition with Laos is the best opportunity to impress the head coach. When the race for a starting spot is still open, every player needs to make an effort to take the position.

The aspirations of the supporting factors are what coach Kim Sang-sik wants to see, in a match where the Vietnamese team is inherently at an outstanding level.

The Korean military leader needs to have plans to moderate and hide his cards before the heroic showdown with Indonesia. However, the Vietnamese team still needs to play effectively to have a confident start, as well as accumulate a good score for the race to win the top spot.

Calculating how to achieve both goals is a difficult problem for Mr. Kim. The starting stage is never simple, but with what was shown during the training trip in Korea, the Vietnamese team is capable of winning big.