Football

Vietnamese players in a practise in Gyeongju City, South Korea in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN Cup. Photos of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Head coach Kim Sang-sik has received positive news ahead of the ASEAN Cup campaign, and promised he would sing Việt Nam's national anthem and dance if his side brings the trophy home.

Kim and his team are in a 10-day training course in Gyeongju City, South Korea. After several days of practising, they defeated Ulsan Citizen FC 2-0 with goals by Nguyễn Tiến Linh and Phạm Tuấn Hải in their first friendly match.

Following the victory, the Việt Nam Football Federation said that newly naturalised striker Nguyễn Xuân Son was allowed to play for the national team after FIFA's approval.

The Brazilian-born Son, who is Việt Nam's best scorer in history, will be able to wear the national jersey starting December 21. However, he will miss Việt Nam's first tournament match against Laos in Group B on December 9.

Son has already been named in Kim's 50-player draft list, but he had to wait to join his teammates at the training camp until FIFA agreed to allow him on the team. Of course, he needs to prove his ability in practice.

The 27-year-old player is currently at his peak. He has scored five goals in his last two matches in the domestic league for Nam Định FC and helped the club win 3-0 over Hong Kong's Lee Man FC in the AFC Champions League Two on November 27.

"If I am accepted, it would be my greatest opportunity, a big turning point, in my life," said Son. "My family and friends would be happy for me too. Việt Nam has given me everything and I feel like I am home here. If the head coach calls, I will always be ready."

Head coach Kim Sang-sik will fix Việt Nam's problems to be ready for the regional championship. -- Photo of VFF

Despite the good news, Kim admitted that there are some problems with his team that need to be fixed ahead of the Cup.

Kim said the team is training in South Korea due to information security issues.

"Wherever you practise in Southeast Asia, a lot of things are bound to be exposed to fans and the media. That's why we are here, a location with high-quality training," Kim told Asia Today in an interview.

His players are expected to improve their physique while experts test their strength through training and friendly matches. These were big problems for the Vietnamese side during their FIFA Days matches in September and October.

The coach said there are good players in Việt Nam, but they still need to improve their teamwork, ability to control the matches and balance between attack and defence.

"I will make step-by-step changes according to specific situations. I don't know how much time I have, but I will optimise players' abilities individually and collectively," Kim said.

On the subject of their ASEAN Cup rivals, the South Korean said: "Việt Nam will play Indonesia and Laos, which are also managed by South Korean coaches. Our goals are to secure a spot in the semi-finals, then finals, and then win the championship."

He revealed that he has learnt some Vietnamese since he first came to the country, and will sing Việt Nam's national anthem in the final match.

"Learning Vietnamese is essential for working well here. I learn through YouTube. I have memorised basic commands like 'Go forward! Back down! Wait!' I can also say 'cảm ơn' (thank you) and can order at a restaurant. I can order beer in Vietnamese," Kim said.

"I constantly sing while watching YouTube. I taught myself. First of all, I write Vietnamese lyrics in Korean. I mark notes and pitches in my own way and sing every day. Everyone around also helps me," he added.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik's notes to learn Việt Nam's national anthem. -- Photo of ZNews

"It is a way to get me closer to Vietnamese players and supporters. I want people to see I am singing. Although it's not perfect yet, I can sing a long section of the anthem. They (players) complimented me, saying my pronunciation sounded like Vietnamese."

Previously, Kim has danced wildly to celebrate his Korean championship title when he was the head coach of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He said he would do the same thing if Việt Nam won this year's ASEAN Cup.

"Of course, if Việt Nam win, I will dance to celebrate. We will do our best. You can expect a good performance from the Vietnamese team," Kim said.

Việt Nam will have two friendly matches against Daegu FC today and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Sunday before returning home next Friday. VNS