Coach Kim Sang-sik bets his career on ASEAN Cup 2024

"I am very happy that Vietnam has reached the final. This is the result of the enthusiastic support from the fans, along with the efforts, sweat and dedication of the whole team in the last six matches," coach Kim Sang-sik said after the 3-1 victory over Singapore in the second leg of the semi-final at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of December 29.

"Although we have entered the final round, the clock of the Vietnamese team does not stop. We will continue to try. I bet my entire football career on this championship," he said.

Coach Kim was appointed in May, at a time when Vietnamese football had just become disillusioned with Philippe Troussier after being continuously eliminated from the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup and the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. The Korean coach was tasked with at least reaching the final of the ASEAN Cup.

In the group stage, Vietnam won three and drew one, scoring nine goals and conceding only two. In the first leg of the semi-final in Singapore, the team continued their success with a 2-0 victory. This result gives coach Kim's team many options for the return leg at Viet Tri Stadium. Even if they lose by one goal, the team will still advance.

As promised before the match, Vietnam did not play defensively, but played towards a victory. The opening goal came from a penalty by Nguyen Xuan Son at the end of the first half. In the 63rd minute, the gap was doubled. This time, it was the naturalized striker who tapped the ball into the net from close range after an assist from Nguyen Hoang Duc.

Kyoga Nakamura's goal to reduce the gap to 1-2 for Singapore did not affect Vietnam's chances. In the last minute of the second half, substitute Nguyen Tien Linh successfully kicked a penalty, sealing a 3-1 victory.

This match was the first time Vietnam scored in the first half of this year's ASEAN Cup. This pleased coach Kim. He said the players were quite tense in the first half, but the opening goal helped them balance out in the second half. He also praised the achievement of only conceding three goals since the start of the tournament.

Regarding personnel, the Korean coach said he found it difficult to think when there were players who rarely played, typically striker Pham Tuan Hai. "This is the most difficult point when being a coach. All players try and prepare their best, but not everyone gets to play. During the arrangement process, we always try to choose 11 suitable players to optimize the squad. In the final match, I will analyze the opponent, and if suitable, I also hope to be able to put Tuan Hai on the field."

This is the fifth time Vietnam has reached the final of the ASEAN Cup (formerly the AFF Cup and Tiger Cup). In the previous four times, the team finished second in 1998 and 2022, and won the championship in 2008 and 2018.

Vietnam’s final opponent this time is the winner of the other semi-final between Thailand and the Philippines. In the first leg, the Philippines caused a surprise with a 2-1 victory at home. The two teams will play again in Thailand on December 30.

Coach Kim said he would watch the match between the Philippines and Thailand, but affirmed that he had thought about it and had his own plan. He also admitted that he did not know who to choose between the two opponents because "even if he wanted to, he could not".

According to him, whichever team makes it to the final, Vietnam must prepare according to plan, analyze carefully and play in its own style to aim for victory and win the championship.