On the evening of March 19, the Vietnam team won 2-1 against Cambodia in an international friendly match before the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
In the first half, the home team played aggressively, controlled the ball well and created many opportunities towards the opponent's goal. However, in the second half, Cambodia attacked more and coordinated better.
During more than 90 minutes on the field, coach Kim Sang-sik made some adjustments to personnel, playing style as well as positions on the field, typically Quang Hai playing as a center forward. After the match, the coaches and players of the two teams had notable exchanges in the press conference room.
Coach Kim Sang-sik and player Hai Long answered the question:
Reporter: What is the difference between the two sets, sir?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: In the first half, I arranged Quang Hai to play as an attacking midfielder and play in the middle. As we prepared, Hai Long scored. The whole team also showed what they had prepared.
In the second half, the pressure increased sharply, we had problems in neutralizing Cambodia. In addition, Quang Hai suffered a minor injury in the second half. When replacing reserve players, there is also difficulty in implementing the playing style.
Reporter: At the moment Hoang Duc slipped, how did you feel, were you worried when your students were rolling on the field?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: It must be admitted that, at that moment, I was quite worried. I hope it is not a serious injury, because Hoang Duc is very important for the Vietnam team. When he felt there was a problem or he could not play, I immediately made a replacement to ensure his safety.
Reporter: Why did you withdraw Viet Hung so early? After Van Vi came on and scored, were you surprised?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: Regarding the reason for changing Viet Hung, I think he has not been able to perform as when he was training and Hung is also excited to play for the national team. When Van Vi entered the field, this player helped the team a lot.
Reporter: Why haven't you used Ly Duc and the other players yet? Are you too cautious?
Coach Kim Sang-sik: The reason is because there are not many changes in the squad and I want to use the experience ball to show what the team is doing well.
The Vietnamese team needs to prepare carefully for the match against Laos. I analyze and help players accumulate more. In addition, I will also create opportunities for players to learn. The big players are having a good physical foundation, I think it is a good preparation for the next match.
Reporter: How did Hai Long prepare for the free kick?
Player Hai Long: This is my 3rd goal and I can only try to concentrate as much as possible to hit the ball into the net according to what I have practiced. And luckily today I scored. I played in the starting lineup for this match. I am healthy and ready for every match. If he can enter the field, he will try to show his ability.
Coach Koji Gyotoku (Cambodia) answered the question:
Reporter: Are you satisfied with this result? What points do you think the Vietnamese team is not doing well?
Coach Gyotoku: First of all, I would like to thank VFF for organizing the match well today. In the second half, if compared, my team played quite well. Comparing the two teams, Vietnam today has superiority in everything, from technique to strength.
The Cambodian team has accumulated a lot of experience. In the second half, we had many opportunities to score but lost 1-2. This is not too satisfying, but today was not a bad performance.
Reporter: After 90 minutes, what did your team do and what did not do?
Coach Gyotoku: In the first half, we couldn't get the ball, especially the midfielders. The second half had more changes and ball control. I found the problem and could help the Cambodian team improve.
Reporter: Do you evaluate your team's goal?
Coach Gyotoku: We had 1 goal in the second half and had 1 or 2 more chances. It was a beautiful goal but I wanted more.
Reporter: How do you evaluate the naturalized Cambodian players compared to other naturalized Southeast Asian players?
Coach Gyotoku: Our team has a number of naturalized players, today they played well, supported and helped the team.
