Slow Counter-Attacks: The Unsolved Puzzle of Vietnam National Team Under Coach Kim Sang-sik

In the 89th minute of the AFF Cup 2026 semi-final at My Dinh Stadium, the score was 1-1. Nguyen Tien Linh received the ball in the center circle, with a vast space ahead left open by the Thai defense. But instead of surging forward like a drill, he stopped, looked around, and passed back to his defender. The whole stadium seemed to sigh. That was not an individual moment, but a chronic illness of the Vietnam national team over the past two years: slow counter-attacks, lacking ideas and fearing risks. Since Coach Kim Sang-sik took over the hot seat in mid-2026, fans expected a fresh breeze from the Korean strategist, who was famous for his high pressing style at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. In reality, he has built a team that controls the ball better, with an average possession rate of 58% in the AFF Cup group stage, the highest in the tournament. But the paradox is: the more they control the ball, the fewer goals Vietnam scores from counter-attacks. Data from VangBong.vn shows that in 5 matches at the tournament, the team only had 12 fast counter-attacks (ball circulation speed over 5m/s), far fewer than Thailand (28) and even Singapore (19). The problem is not about fitness or the speed of the players. Nguyen Van Toan, Nguyen Quang Hai, or Phan Van Duc all have good pace, but they are rarely placed in counter-attacking situations with a numerical advantage. Coach Kim Sang-sik prioritizes a slow, steady style, circulating the ball between the two center-backs and the defensive midfielder before finding a way forward. This gives opponents time to reorganize their defense. In the group stage match against Indonesia, Vietnam had 65% possession but only created 2 shots on target, while Indonesia with just 35% possession had 5 shots, mostly from lightning-fast counter-attacks. I recall a detail from a training session of the national team at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center in November last year. When Coach Kim Sang-sik asked his players to perform a 3-touch counter-attack drill, many looked confused. They are used to receiving the ball, stopping, observing, then passing. This habit was formed from the possession-based style under Coach Park Hang-seo, but Park had forwards who knew how to make intelligent runs like Nguyen Cong Phuong. Currently, Kim Sang-sik's forwards tend to bunch up in the middle, leaving no space for the full-backs to accelerate. The counter-intuitive point here is: the problem is not in the attack but in the midfield. Specifically, the role of Do Hung Dung and Nguyen Hoang Duc in transitioning from defense to attack. Both are talented midfielders, but they tend to pass sideways or backward more than forward. Statistics from VangBong.vn show that Hoang Duc's successful forward pass rate at AFF Cup 2026 was only 34%, much lower than the average of top Southeast Asian central midfielders (52%). When central midfielders cannot make line-breaking passes, wingers are forced to handle the ball themselves, leading to isolation and loss of possession. Another blind spot rarely mentioned by the media: the positioning ability of full-backs when the team has the ball. In the match against Malaysia, Vu Van Thanh and Doan Van Hau often pushed high but lacked coordination with the forwards. They received the ball near the touchline, but no one moved into the space between the opponent's center-backs. This made Vietnam's attacks harmless and easy to read. From the perspective of someone who has followed Vietnamese football for nearly 10 years, I believe Coach Kim Sang-sik needs to boldly change his philosophy. Instead of pressing high and controlling possession, he should accept ceding the game in big matches and use the pace of Van Toan and Van Duc to exploit the space behind the opponent's defense. Counter-attacking football is not a bad thing; it helped Vietnam win the AFF Cup 2026 under Park Hang-seo. The difference is that Park had a core of players who had played hundreds of matches together, while Kim is building from scratch. The question is: will Coach Kim have the courage to abandon the safe possession-based style, to accept risks and play more direct football? In modern football, fast counter-attacks are not just a tactical choice, but a ultimate weapon against teams that play high pressing. If Vietnam does not change, they will continue to fail against opponents who know how to wait and punish. But if they change, they may find a new path where boldness is rewarded. The pitch never forgets those who dare to think differently.