'Vietnamese Hero' Coach Kim Sang-sik, Local Acclaim: "It's Not Just About Tactics; What's Truly Amazing Is..."

*This content was translated by AI.

This is truly a phenomenon. Under the leadership of Coach Kim Sang-sik, the Vietnam national football team is writing new records as it aims for back-to-back ASEAN Cup titles.

On the 7th (Korea time), in the final Group A match of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup held at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam defeated Cambodia 3-1, thanks to Nguyen Din Park's brace and an own goal by the opponent.

As a result, Vietnam finished the group stage with three wins and one draw (10 points), overtaking Singapore (8 points) to top Group A and advance to the semi-finals. As the defending champion from the 2024 tournament, Vietnam continued its march toward its fourth overall title and back-to-back championships.

With this victory, Vietnam completed a remarkable record of 22 consecutive matches without defeat in A-matches (19 wins, 3 draws). Having already far surpassed its previous domestic record of 18 consecutive unbeaten games, Vietnam continues to rewrite the history of Vietnamese football with every match.

The local media in Vietnam is celebrating Coach Kim Sang-sik's leadership. 'Bongda' reported that "Coach Kim has once again proven he possesses a diamond-like eye for talent, not only excelling in tactics but also discovering and utilizing players' potential."

The outlet further noted that "Coach Kim Sang-sik made a bold move by starting players who had mostly been used as backups in the national team, instead of relying on them against Indonesia, which led to complete success. In the Cambodia match, he played a perfect role as a midfield conductor, contributing to both the opening goal and the decisive goal through strong forward pressing and accurate long-range passes."

Even 'Bongda' stated that "Since taking charge, Coach Kim has shown the pleasant habit of discovering new talents in every major tournament. He laid the foundation for victory by unexpectedly promoting a rookie during the 2024 tournament, identified new midfield resources at the 2025 U-23 Southeast Asian Games, and transformed Lee Beon-e-neun (CEO) team's existing players into core assets." The explanation is that Coach Kim's calculated command, which places players in the right positions and shows trust in them, has driven Vietnam's winning streak.

The top contributor to Vietnam's victory over Cambodia, having secured first place in Group A, was 21-year-old rookie striker Din Park. In the 18th minute of the first half, after receiving a pass from Nguyen Hoang Duc, Din Park skillfully evaded the opposing defense with a sharp turning move, then surged past two defenders with incredible speed and scored the opening goal with a precise shot. Riding this momentum, Vietnam pushed Cambodia back with its characteristic fast and aggressive style of play.

Cambodia's counterattacks in the second half were also fierce. In the 27th minute of the second half, Vietnam conceded an equalizer when Iago Bento Fernandes, a substitute player, received a long-range pass over the halfway line and took a left-footed shot that found the net, making it 1-1.

However, Coach Kim Sang-sik's Vietnam remained unshaken. In the 39th minute of the second half, an own goal by Cambodian defender Vakhim, who attempted to block Nguyen Xuan Son's shot, put Vietnam ahead again 2-1. Then, in the 44th minute, Din Park sealed the 3-1 victory with a spectacular lob over the goalkeeper's head.

Having secured first place in Group A and advanced to the semi-finals, Vietnam will face Malaysia, which finished second in Group B. On the 8th, Malaysia defeated the Philippines 1-0, accumulating 9 points (3 wins, 1 loss), placing them second in Group B behind Thailand (12 points) and joining the semi-finals. This marks their second overall title bid since 2010.

In the home-and-away semi-final series, Vietnam will play the first leg away at Malaysia on the 16th, followed by the second leg at home at My Dinh National Stadium on the 19th. A victory here would allow them to face the winner of the Thailand-Singapore semi-final in the final for the championship trophy.

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*This content was translated by AI.