Vietnam's High Press: When Kim Sang-sik Uses Tactics as a Weapon

The dressing room has no cameras, but there are whispers.

At My Dinh Stadium, a closed training session of the Vietnam national team. I stand outside the fence, watching the short passes and the shouts of coach Kim Sang-sik. No one says it, but everyone understands: the philosophy of high pressing is being tested before the AFF Cup. The contract is signed, but the printer never spits out a page. The same goes for tactics – they only truly exist when executed.

Context: The tactical hype cycle

Every season, the press hails a tactical 'revolution'. For Vietnam, after the success of Park Hang-seo, fans expected a fresh playing style from his successor. But I’ve seen too many promises broken at the negotiation table. The truth is: high pressing is not something you can install overnight. It demands fitness, collective discipline, and – most importantly – the readiness of every individual.

The current context: Vietnam is in transition. Veteran players like Que Ngoc Hai still anchor the defense, but their recovery speed has declined. Meanwhile, youngsters like Nguyen Thai Son and Nguyen Van Truong lack international match experience. A pressing tactic will cruelly expose fitness gaps.

Core insight: **High pressing is a double-edged sword – it works only when the entire system is synchronized, and it exposes every weakness if one link breaks.**

Look at the data. In the friendly against India in October, Vietnam pressed 27 times in the first half, but only 8 were successful. That 29.6% rate is far below the top Asian teams’ benchmark (45-50%). The reason? Not a lack of intent, but gaps between lines. When striker Cong Phuong pressed forward, the midfield dropped too deep, creating a 15-meter buffer zone where opponents easily maneuvered.

The pandemic revealed what football had hidden: the fitness numbers. According to VFF reports, Vietnamese players average VO2max of 52 ml/kg/min, lower than Thailand (55) and Malaysia (54). This explains why pressing lasts only 20-25 minutes before the team automatically drops deep. Kim Sang-sik understands this, but change takes time - time the AFF Cup does not allow.

Contrarian angle: Is high pressing truly suitable for Vietnamese football?

I’ve heard many experts praise pressing as the 'key to modernization'. But look at reality: Japan and South Korea took a decade to build their fitness base and tactical discipline. Vietnam, with short preparation time and performance pressure, might fail if it rushes into an unsuitable doctrine.

I recall a whisper from an assistant in the dressing room: 'Players are afraid of pressing because they fear making mistakes.' That fear stems from a lack of systematic training at the club level. In V-League, only three teams truly play high pressing (Hanoi, Haiphong, Nam Dinh). The rest play counter-attacking football. Result: when called up to the national team, players must learn from scratch – an impossible task in a two-week camp.

A more practical solution: situational pressing. Not always pushing high, but applying it only when the opponent loses the ball in their own third or after set pieces. This capitalizes on the speed of wingers and reduces risk. Evidence: at the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, U23 Vietnam under coach Dinh The Nam succeeded with this tactic, reaching the final.

Takeaway: Lessons from the numbers

My pen needs no ink, only a gap. And the gap here is impatience. We want a pressing team immediately, but forget that even tactical machines like Liverpool took three years to perfect under Klopp. Let Kim Sang-sik work, but don't be delusional. Clean football? Only if you don't look. Effective pressing? Only if you accept the process.

I leave the stadium, the whispers still echoing from the dressing room. Next time you see Vietnam pressing, watch the 70th minute – if they still maintain it, believe change is coming. If not, remember: numbers never lie.