Vietnam vs Indonesia: A New Look for Coach Kim Sang Sik

Of course, a shirt alone does not make Coach Kim Sang Sik, but it is true that wearing the white jersey in the match against Singapore coincided with a version of Kim Sang Sik who was not himself for most of the game—and that is somewhat unsettling. His substitutions lacked the "magic" touch, and he displayed too much personal emotion. South Korean coaches are generally not the calm type, but in the recent match, Kim Sang Sik's state could be described as "out of control."

This is not the time to look back at the draw with Singapore and lament or regret. In a match of that nature, statistics often mean nothing. Maybe we were unlucky, or maybe we truly were "poor." It's like saying, "If we had scored one goal in the first half, everything would have been different." If that's the case, then where is the beauty of football?

But here is a fact: Vietnam seemed to have no tactical Plan B. To put it bluntly, Coach Kim Sang Sik only planned to beat Singapore—and preferably by a large margin. That's why he threw more attackers onto the pitch against Timor Leste. Kim revealed his hand to all of Southeast Asia. It was a choice of the strong: either score more than the opponent or face defeat.

The way Coach Kim Sang Sik scratched his head, pulled his hair, knelt on the pitch, or substituted two players with just one minute remaining—all of this spoke volumes. We had only one way of playing, and when it didn't work, everything became disoriented to the point of chaos. And of course, many of us—both media and fans—know why Kim made that choice. Otherwise, why bother naturalizing players if the only goal was to win the Southeast Asian championship?

So let's be fair: that choice was not wrong. The attacking patterns in the match against Singapore were diverse, with many rhythms, and Coach Kim Sang Sik fully exploited the strengths of the players he had upfront. When the best options were used and the goal still didn't come, Vietnam naturally got stuck in a dead end.

From there, the story takes a different turn: Is Vietnam truly stronger than the rest of Southeast Asia? Were we unlucky not to put the ball in the net, or are we not as strong as we think?

It cannot be said that Coach Kim Sang Sik's choice was a naive mistake. It might be a bold experiment that the South Korean coach is proactively conducting. He wants to prove that the Vietnam national team can dominate opponents with their own identity. The reality on the My Dinh pitch showed that path is harder than he imagined, and perhaps he needed that match as a wake-up call, a necessary piece of data before stepping into an even bigger challenge.

That challenge is named Indonesia. All answers lie in the match against Indonesia. On the night of August 3 at Pakansari Stadium, Coach Kim Sang Sik will have to answer the final exam for his own choice: retreat, reinforce the defense with an extra layer, adopt a more pragmatic approach to secure the result, or continue courageously pursuing the attacking style shaped by the abundant resources he has at hand, despite the risks that became evident against Singapore.

Finally, let's look at the essence of the issue: Vietnam is still in a more proactive position than many think. An attack that creates 15 chances in 90 minutes, even without scoring, is an attack that has a problem only in the final step, not one that is devoid of ideas. That is the core difference, and it is also the reason to believe that the Vietnam national team still holds the key to their own destiny. Entering a crucial match, having a series of opportunities that are not yet converted into goals is still much better than having a completely ineffective attack.

Therefore, do not retreat. Look forward to a different expectation: a calmer Coach Kim Sang Sik, who knows how to adjust the details exposed against Singapore, but still brave enough to pursue his choices. We need such a coach if we are thinking about reaching a higher level.

Who else would put a different shirt on Kim, other than himself?!