Speaking after the match, Kim shared: “First, I want to thank the fans who came to the stadium to watch the game. Unfavorable weather conditions led to a poor pitch, which hindered our ability to execute the intended tactics. I’m very disappointed that we couldn’t score more, despite creating many chances. However, I’m pleased that the team still achieved the primary objective of winning.”

He revealed that the team had practiced finishing drills ahead of the match, focusing on play in the final third and making the most of scoring chances.

“But the field conditions really disrupted our style of play,” Kim said. “Our players need to do better in the final phase of attacking. In the next training camp, we will work hard to improve this aspect. Today, we had many good shots on goal, but couldn’t convert them. The most unfortunate was from Tien Linh - he has great instincts, positioning, and finishing skills, but was unlucky. I hope he will score in our next match against Laos in November.”

Kim acknowledged that playing at home gave Vietnam an advantage over Nepal.

“In reality, we had several chances to score, but didn’t capitalize well. The players were a bit hasty in the final decisions. In the second half, some of our players ran out of steam, which affected our ability to perform as expected,” he added.

Explaining his decision to field several U23 players like Hieu Minh, Thanh Nhan, Trung Kien, Dinh Bac, and Van Khang, Coach Kim made it clear: “The decision wasn’t about handing out rewards - these players earned their spots through hard work and strong performances in training. They competed fairly and raised the overall quality of the team. I think Hieu Minh, Trung Kien, and others played well today.”

Nepal praises second-half response

Nepal’s assistant coach, Salyan Khadgi, shared his thoughts after the match: “Today, we fought hard against Vietnam. It was unfortunate that we conceded from an own goal, but we played very well in the second half.”

He added that Nepal’s strategy was to defend solidly, and despite being away from home, the team still managed to create several promising attacks in the second half.

“If we had been the home team today, our goal would have been to play offensively rather than defensively,” Khadgi concluded.

Duy Nguyen