Coach Kim Sang-sik is not afraid
The 0-0 draw against Singapore more or less derailed coach Kim Sang-sik's calculations. But the Korean coach is not afraid.
Against an Indonesia that fielded the strongest squad with full pillars such as Ivar Jenner, Thom Haye, Ragnar or Baker, Mr. Kim chose a playing squad that no specialist could imagine.
When Xuan Son, Hoang Hen, Quang Hai and Van Hau were all on the bench, an Indonesian reporter wondered if this was the B or A squad of the Vietnamese team? Coach Kim Sang-sik did not answer that question. Instead, the Vietnamese team responded with 2 early goals from the first half and ended the match with a 3-0 victory.
Mr. Kim really made his colleague John Herdman on the Indonesian side take his hat off. The Canadian coach arranged Jordi Amat to start when planning to face Xuan Son on the Vietnamese side. This led to captain Rizky Ridho having to play as a right center-back - which is not a favorable position for him.
Mr. Herdman's prediction of the Vietnamese team failed. Coach Kim Sang-sik put Xuan Son on the bench and replaced him with an attacking trio that had never been paired together: Dinh Bac, Tai Loc and Hai Long.
Breaking the plan to mark Xuan Son, Indonesia paid a heavy price in the right position that Rizky Ridho took on. Vietnam's first two goals both "picked" the right position of this player, before Van Vi or Hai Long created dangerous close-angle finishes to eliminate Nadeo.
I think Indonesia was surprised by Vietnam's squad, but importantly they started the match somewhat subjectively and carelessly. They seemed to want to win very quickly.
Xuan Son and Hoang Hen being substitutes can be considered a surprise. Perhaps Indonesia must imagine the Vietnamese team playing counter-attack if looking at this squad. Indonesia must impose a higher intensity of play and make the Vietnamese team unable to react. They have not pushed the intensity of play up yet, then they have been negligent and collapsed," commentator Quang Tung commented.
The value of Jackie Chan, Hoang Duc
The change in the forward line is not the only effect and surprise that Mr. Kim Sang-sik brings. The appearance of Le Pham Thanh Long has brought a strong midfield in defense and breakthrough counter-attacks.
Thom Haye, Marc Klok, Ivar Jenner once sowed fear in Timor Leste and Cambodia. But before the pair Thanh Long retreated low and Hoang Duc rose high, creating a smooth coordination, the Indonesian midfield lost their fangs. Thom Haye completely lost his form in midfield, Marc Klok and Ivar Jenner were also separated before the Vietnamese midfielder pair.
The Vietnamese team returned to a short passing style. When having the ball, the team's front line with a technical and fast foundation coordinated short distances instead of long crosses, making Indonesian defenders passive. The first two goals that Hai Long and Van Vi scored also came from quality passes from the midfield pair.
On the field, Indonesian reporters were really surprised by the way Hoang Duc and Thanh Long performed. They admired V.League as this is the permanent stage of this duo, not Asian and European-level tournaments like many naturalized names in the Indonesian squad have experienced.
Coach John Herdman has tasted a big lesson in his first time coaching in the regional arena. Against a proactively defensive counter-attacking Vietnam, the "Garudas" had difficulty deploying the ball into 1/3 of the opponent's field.
They did not have situations of moving without the ball to stretch the Vietnamese defense, nor did they have penetrations from the second line like Indonesia did in the previous 2 rounds.
Having to withdraw Ivar Jenner, Ragnar is also an admission for Mr. John Herdman's unsuccessful start calculation. Changes in the second half including Jens Raven, Tim Geypens or Beckham Putra have also not been able to make a difference...
Commentator Quang Tung said: "Many expressions of coach Kim Sang-sik show restlessness, anxiety and insecurity in the match against Singapore. The result of that match partly reflects his concern.
But in a difficult situation, Mr. Kim was very bold and decisive in choosing people and tactics. The very dignified victory strengthened great confidence for the coaching staff and the whole team that we are in a different position, with many different solutions. We believe that the Vietnamese team can defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship".
