Midfielder Hải Long (No 4) vies for the ball with midfielder Kuziaev Daler (No 23) in the LPBank Cup 2024 friendly match at Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hà Nội on Thursday evening. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

HÀ NỘI — Coach Kim Sang-sik praised the Vietnamese football players for their hard work and determination, despite the team's disappointing results.

"I apologise to the fans for not achieving better outcomes. However, the players never gave up, pushing until the last minute and applying pressure on the opponent, but we couldn't secure a better result," Kim said after the match.

The hosts, Việt Nam (world No 115), lost to Russia (world No 33) with a score of 0-3 in the LPBank Cup 2024 friendly match at Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hà Nội on Thursday evening.

From the outset, the Russian team put pressure on the Vietnamese goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm. In the 24th minute, Russia opened the score when Lâm misjudged a cross, allowing Kuziaev Daler to head the ball into the net from close range.

Following the goal, the Russians maintained dominance but failed to capitalise on further chances, so headed into half time leading 1-0.

In the 61st minute, a mistake by Vũ Văn Thanh, who passed back carelessly, resulted in Lâm missing the ball, leading to a 2-0 lead for Russia. The visitors extended their lead in the 77th minute with a goal from Musaev Tamerlan.

A minute later, Bùi Vĩ Hào took the first shot on target for Việt Nam, but it was easily saved by the Russian goalkeeper. In the 82nd minute, Hào delivered a promising cross, but Tuấn Hải's shot from a tight angle hit the crossbar.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính came to watch the match and went down to the field to encourage the Vietnamese players after the match ended. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh

Ultimately, Việt Nam lost 0-3 to Russia.

During the game, Coach Kim experimented with younger players in the starting lineup, including Hải Long and Vĩ Hào. He expressed satisfaction with their performance, noting that Vĩ Hào effectively controlled the game's rhythm.

However, the Vietnamese team's goal in the second half was due to poor coordination between Văn Thanh and Lâm. Kim acknowledged that Lâm faced psychological pressure against the Russian team and would need time to stabilise his mentality for future matches.

Russian head coach Valery Karpin found positive aspects in the match, noting that his players were uninjured and that the results were satisfactory, despite not being accustomed to the local conditions.

“I am quite satisfied with this result, although if we had played in Russia, I would expect a better score than 3-0. We missed many opportunities," Karpin said.

He also praised the Vietnamese players, saying: "While they may not be as strong as some European teams, they created dangerous opportunities and have many talented players, though their physicality could improve."

Russia will face Thailand next on September 7, while Việt Nam will play Thailand three days later. VNS