'Record holder' Kim Sang Sik
With 3 finals reached with men's national teams in 2025, including winning 2 championships, regardless of the outcome of tonight’s SEA Games 33 men's football final, Coach Kim Sang Sik rightfully deserves to be regarded as one of the top foreign tacticians in Vietnamese football.
Moreover, his last two finals were with the U22/U23 Vietnam team, a much tougher challenge compared to the Vietnam team at the 2024 ASEAN Cup which featured the "superman" striker Nguyễn Xuân Son, who played a major role in securing the title.
This detail shows that although Coach Kim Sang Sik might not have had prior experience leading a national team before coming to Vietnam, his adaptability and tactical adjustments are truly admirable, even though everyone knows coaching at club level and national team level are worlds apart.
This likely explains why Coach Kim Sang Sik is always particularly sharp in making tactical changes and substitutions during matches, especially in the recent semifinal between U22 Vietnam and U22 Philippines, where both late goals were scored by substitutes Văn Thuận and Thanh Nhàn.
It is worth recalling that during the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers held in Phú Thọ (Vietnam) last September, when U23 Vietnam was struggling against the dense defensive setup of U23 Singapore, Coach Kim Sang Sik spent a long time watching the substitutes warming up before deciding to bring Văn Thuận on, who then repaid the trust with a spectacular header scoring the only goal of the match, similar to what happened in the U22 Vietnam vs U22 Philippines game.
With 3 finals in just one year, Coach Kim Sang Sik truly deserves recognition. Photo: Tuấn Phạm
Among foreign coaches who have led national teams over the past 20 years, Kim Sang Sik deserves to be ranked at the top for his ability to read games and change the course of matches through his substitutions. It would not be an exaggeration to say he even surpasses his compatriot Park Hang Seo in this ability.
Moreover, in over a year coaching in Vietnam, Kim Sang Sik has never caused controversy over his personnel decisions, whether the Vietnam team or the U22/U23 teams win or lose, perform poorly or excellently, he is rarely criticized for choosing to play or bench certain players.
This differs from his two immediate predecessors, Philippe Troussier and Park Hang Seo, both of whom made personnel choices that sparked fierce debates, which quickly escalated into criticism when their teams failed to perform well.
Kim Sang Sik has fully utilized his strengths, and it is no coincidence that he achieved such an impressive record: leading a national team for the first time while also coaching the U22/U23 teams and still reaching 3 regional finals within one year.
Therefore, no matter how tonight’s final concludes, Coach Kim Sang Sik deserves to be praised and honored.
Readers interested in SEA Games 33 (2025):
The best featured articles about SEA Games 33
Links
Contact
Address：UNIT 1804 SOUTH BANK TOWER, 55 UPPER GROUND,LONDON ENGLAND SE1 9E
Number：+85259695367
E-mali：[email protected]
App
