Coach Kim Sang Sik acknowledged that Vietnam faced challenges against Cambodia but expressed satisfaction with the team's preparation for the upcoming match against Laos.

"The first half reflected what we had prepared. I positioned Quang Hai as an attacking midfielder, and we secured two goals thanks to Hai Long and Van Vi.

In the second half, Cambodia applied greater pressure, and we struggled to break through their defense.

Moreover, Quang Hai suffered a minor injury, and when we substituted in reserve players, we encountered difficulties in executing our attacking plays," Coach Kim Sang Sik explained.

Regarding his decision not to field younger players against Cambodia, Kim Sang Sik stated, "Vietnam needed to prepare for the match against Laos, so there were not many changes in the lineup.

There will be a time for younger players to gain experience and get playing time. Right now, our main squad is in good shape, so I kept them on the field to build momentum for the upcoming game."

"As a coach, I always worry when my players experience issues on the pitch. The case of Hoang Duc is no exception. I hope his injury is not too serious because he is a crucial player for the team."

Meanwhile, Cambodia’s head coach, Gyotoku, was highly pleased with his players' performance. "If we compare the two halves, we played better than Vietnam in the second half in every aspect, from technique to physicality.
This match was a valuable learning experience for our players."

"We had multiple scoring opportunities in the second half, but ultimately, we still lost 1-2. While this result is not entirely satisfying, our performance was far from disappointing. We scored one goal and had one or two more chances. It was a beautiful goal, but I wish we had converted more opportunities."

Duy Nguyen