Luck
When reviewing Kim Sang-sik's career, people saw enough evidence to confirm that he was very lucky on his journey. As a player, he joined Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma - founded in 1989, at the most successful period of the team, with 3 out of 4 Korean championships (2001, 2003, 2006). After he left, over the past 10 years, Seongnam has fallen into chaos, playing poorly and being relegated several times (currently playing in K.League 2).
He came to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the same time that the team had become a force, winning the championship twice for the first time (2009, 2011) in the team's 10 championships in Korea up to this point. In addition, he also has titles with Jeonbuk as an assistant coach (6-time Korean champion), inheriting a very strong squad to be crowned once again as head coach (2021).
Mr. Kim Sang-sik's achievements as a coach when coming to Vietnam, in fact, are not too impressive. Because after winning the K.League 1 championship in 2021, he was criticized for his monotonous tactics, losing the team's personality. But when he arrived in Vietnam, he had other lucky points. One is the successor Philippe Troussier after a disappointing year of the French coach with new ideas, new styles, and new philosophies that he wanted to apply. If he had directly succeeded Mr. Park Hang-seo, the pressure could have been very different.
Second, also because he is not a direct successor, Kim Sang-sik not only has time to learn and receive advice from his compatriots, but also has reason to believe that bringing Vietnamese football back to a suitable philosophy - defense, counter-attack - is completely reasonable, especially in the context of fans running out of patience.
Another important thing is that the 49-year-old coach benefits mainly from Mr. Troussier's determination in trusting young players, to have Dinh Bac, Thai Son, Thanh Nhan play steadily in decisive moments like now. Or as in the national team, amid many difficulties at the ASEAN Championship 2024, he has Xuan Son - a naturalized player who shines to bring home the championship.
Talent
Until now, many people still ask, in the end, what is Mr. Kim Sang-sik's football philosophy with the national team and the U23 and U22 teams? In fact, in many matches, experts could not recognize a specific playing style, along with many criticisms, and lack of confidence in the 49-year-old coach's success opportunities.
However, apart from a few silences in the World Cup qualifiers, 2025 will witness the brilliant success of Mr. Kim Sang-sik, with 3 titles with the national team, U23 and U22. Luck can come once, but 3 times, the leader's talent must be evaluated. Maybe, he is not good at creating his own playing style, or even the starting lineup is sometimes confusing, shown by the deadlock. But his talent was to see the problem, rotate it by changing personnel so that the second half was another story as seen.
Keeping the players in good spirits against the pressure from before and during the match is also a talent of Kim Sang-sik, so as not to give up, so that the reserve players can also become the main card for the game change.
The result is the answer. So when it is still difficult to determine whether Kim Sang-sik is lucky or talented, just think that luck is also a type of talent.
