Vietnam National Team and the Potential from a 3-Goal Victory

The distinct tactical mark left by Coach Kim Sang Sik in the 3-goal win away in Indonesia is no longer up for debate. What matters more is that this victory unlocks numerous possibilities for the Vietnam team to aim for greater goals.

Coach Kim Sang Sik learned valuable lessons from the frustrating draw against Singapore at My Dinh Stadium. Most notably, he reshuffled the front two lines, introducing Hai Long and Thanh Long from the start, while benching captain Quang Hai as well as two other attacking stars, Xuan Son and Hoang Hen.

There were no more speculative crosses into the box in dense numbers. The main attacking direction for Vietnam in the match against Indonesia shifted entirely to the left flank, with all three goals coming from attacks into the gap between Indonesia's center-back and right-back.

The mobility of Hai Long and Van Vi made it easier for Hoang Duc and Thanh Long to play. Thanh Long even provided an assist from the anchor position (bottom of the V) for Hai Long to break through and score. Meanwhile, Hoang Duc, with more space to create freely, once again demonstrated his exceptional footballing ability and superior tactical vision.

The philosophy shows that throwing all the best players onto the pitch does not necessarily create the strongest team. Timing and the approach to the match, as well as understanding the opponent, are crucial. We beat Indonesia 3-0 without having superior ball possession.

If this were just two years ago, no one would have dared to imagine such a scenario. At that time, Vietnam lost to Indonesia in every competition, and just thinking about them made many people shudder. Indonesia had reached the final stages of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with the sheer strength of a Europeanized squad.

The difference was made when we neutralized the home team and also improved our finishing ability, with names like Van Vy, Hai Long, and Xuan Son. It was a complex equation that Coach Kim solved, with Indonesia as the "blue team" on their own turf.

Different tactical plans were introduced and implemented, all relying on sufficient player quality. The Vietnamese saying "You need flour to make a cake" captures this meaning. When proactive control is built from well-prepared tactics and confirmed by concrete results, we can look forward to bigger games and greater challenges.

The path to the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals as group A winners for Coach Kim Sang Sik's team is now wide open. The next strategies are likely aimed at teams like Thailand or Malaysia, two of the toughest remaining opponents in Southeast Asia.

Of course, Vietnam's ambitions in the golden era under Coach Kim Sang Sik, as mentioned by The Thao & Van Hoa, are not limited to defending the regional crown. With the potential of this well-rounded and specialized squad, these ambitions must be realized at the 2027 Asian Cup and further ahead in the 2030 World Cup qualifiers.

If not now, then when?!