Coach Kim Sang Sik: “The Vietnam team will strive to win against the Philippines to secure an early spot in the semifinals”
Speaking at the press conference on the morning of December 17 in Manila, Coach Kim Sang Sik stated that the match against the host team, the Philippines, would not be easy. However, the Vietnam team will strive to win in order to secure an early spot in the semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
17/12/2024 16:42:20
“The dense competition schedule creates challenges, but we are truly ready for tomorrow’s match. We have not lost in the group stage and will continue to strive for victory to secure an early spot in the semifinals,” Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized in his opening remarks at the press conference.
The South Korean coach mentioned that the Vietnam team had anticipated the challenges of playing on artificial turf. However, he stated that this would not be a major issue. “Some of our players have experience playing on this type of pitch. Additionally, we have trained on artificial turf in Korea. Personally, I don’t think this will become a major problem. Through the detailed training sessions we’ve had recently, the players will perform well,” Coach Kim Sang Sik said.
According to historical statistics from the last 7 encounters, the Vietnam team has won all of their matches against the Philippines, with the most recent victory occurring in June 2024. That match also marked the debut of Coach Kim Sang Sik as head coach of the Vietnam team.
“In June, we won 3-2 against the Philippines. But it was not an easy match. The important thing is that these victories will help boost the players’ confidence,” Coach Kim Sang Sik said.
Commenting further on the upcoming match, the South Korean coach said: “This encounter is different from the previous one. The Philippines has made many changes to their squad. I believe that since then, the Philippines’ coach has also made adjustments in training and tactics. However, we still aim for a similar result as in June. I have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses, as well as the playing style of their players. On the other hand, the players now understand my football philosophy and can grasp what I want to convey. We will also do our best to win tomorrow’s match.”
In response to a question about the Vietnam team’s goal-scoring performance, Coach Kim Sang Sik shared: “Both we and the fans feel a bit disappointed that we only won 1-0 against Indonesia. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t convert a few more chances into goals. However, it was our first victory after three matches and in 2024, against Indonesia. The players showed great determination to win, and it was a very meaningful victory.”
Joining Coach Kim Sang Sik at the press conference, young striker Bùi Vĩ Hào said: “In the match against the Philippines, the team will have to play on artificial turf. The surface is much harder than natural grass. We will have to try our best to adapt well and work towards the set goals.”
The match between the Philippines and Vietnam teams will take place at 9:00 PM local time tomorrow (December 18) at the Rizal Memorial Stadium (8:00 PM Vietnam time). If Vietnam secures all 3 points, they will definitely advance to the semifinals as the winners of Group B with one match to spare.
