Vietnam team at a standstill
For most of the match, the Vietnamese team did not play very well against Cambodia. In the first half, the appearances of Quang Hai and Hoang Duc helped the home team maintain a good enough position. Although the attack was somewhat monotonous, the Vietnamese team at least controlled the situation.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's students scored 2 goals but this was not the result of skillful coordination. In the opening match, Hai Long took a free kick to the goal with a very high difficulty. When the Vietnamese team was at a dead end and lacked coordination, the midfielder born in 2000 shone at the right time.
After that, Van Vi's goal came from Van Thanh's effort to dispute the ball in the penalty area. The defender from Nam Dinh club took advantage of the second ball situation to widen the gap.
First of all, it should be noted that the Vietnamese team had a successful first half, but the last 45 minutes of the match made fans worried. When Hoang Duc and Quang Hai left the field, the Vietnamese team was overwhelmed by Cambodia's attack. The away team has 1 equalizer and 3 chances to score a second goal.
Up front, the Vietnamese team had another dangerous shot from Chau Ngoc Quang, Tien Anh and Van Thanh but could not take advantage. In terms of the game, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team could not maintain the advantage on the field and the concern about how to defend and control the ball began to appear.
Not surprising
There are many reasons why experts should not be surprised by the performance of the Vietnamese team. At the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the appearance of Nguyen Xuan Son had a great impact on the national team. Everyone understands that the striker born in 1997 created opportunities, scored goals and solved the match for the "Golden Star Warriors".
Overall, when Xuan Son was on the field, his teammates played much more confidently. The flowing legs also help them handle the ball more suddenly and accurately. But the joy did not last long until Xuan Son was seriously injured, making it difficult for the Vietnamese team to rely on this star in 2025.
Without Xuan Son, the attacking style of play of the Vietnamese team becomes more monotonous. The first matches in the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup have taken place in such a scenario.
Moreover, the Cambodian team has also made remarkable progress. They used 5 quality naturalized players in the squad, ready to cause difficulties and ease whether the opponent was Thailand or Vietnam. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have somewhat declined, and their opponents are stronger than before, so it is not surprising that the Vietnamese team will have a hard time against Cambodia.
However, the Korean coach will have to rely on what happened at Binh Duong Stadium to prepare for the official match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
