On the evening of September 5, Vietnam will face Russia in the LPBank Cup 2024 at the My Dinh National Stadium. Among the three teams participating in the tournament, Russia is considered the strongest, boasting a lineup of high-caliber players. Key names in the Russian squad include Lokomotiv Moscow’s prolific striker Artem Dzyuba, AS Monaco’s young midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, Real Sociedad’s Arsen Zakharyan, and Fedor Smolov, who has played for clubs like Krasnodar, Celta Vigo, and currently Dynamo Moscow.
Russia is led by head coach Valeri Georgievich Karpin, a former celebrated midfielder who played for prominent Russian clubs like Fakel Voronezh and Spartak Moscow, as well as Spanish teams Real Sociedad, Valencia CF, and Celta Vigo. Despite not participating in official UEFA and FIFA tournaments recently, Russia has maintained strong form through friendly matches, securing recent 4-0 victories over both Serbia and Belarus.
Ahead of the match, Vietnam’s head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed both excitement and determination. “I am delighted and honored that the team has another opportunity to compete after a three-month break. I know that Russia is a strong team. Tomorrow’s match will undoubtedly be tough, but I see this as a challenge. Regardless of how strong the opponent is, the important thing for the players is to be fearless, keep moving forward, and fight to achieve the best possible result,” Kim stated.
The South Korean coach further emphasized that upon learning about the opportunity to play against Russia, he knew it would be a difficult match due to the significant differences in ranking and strength. “But I am eager to face this challenge. My coaching staff and I have analyzed many matches and studied the playing style of the Russian players and their coach. I am particularly impressed with goalkeeper Safonov, who is currently with PSG. Additionally, Russia has many young players with strong attacking abilities. I hope our players will gain valuable experience, develop patience, and improve themselves in tomorrow’s match,” Kim added.
To prepare for the friendly tournament, Kim Sang-sik has called up a squad of 26 players, including several young talents and the return of some key veterans such as Que Ngoc Hai, Phan Van Duc, and Nguyen Hai Long. This selection indicates significant changes in the lineup compared to recent matches against Iraq and the Philippines in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, aligning with the goal of experimenting with new tactics.
“In the previous matches, most of our players were in top condition and could play the full 90 minutes. However, due to limited playing time recently, our players’ fitness may not be at its best for tomorrow’s match, but the whole team has prepared well,” Kim noted. “In this tournament, we have eight new players and the return of veterans like Que Ngoc Hai, Phan Van Duc, and Hai Long. We used experienced players in past matches, but we may utilize more new players in this tournament as they represent the future of Vietnamese football.”
Coach Kim also hinted that goalkeeper Dang Van Lam would be given the chance to play against Russia. “I know Dang Van Lam grew up in Russia, so I will give him the opportunity to play tomorrow. I believe Lam will perform well. I have spoken with Lam, and he shared that this is a dream match for him,” Kim revealed.
Vietnam’s captain, Que Ngoc Hai, acknowledged the strength of Russia, noting that they are among the top teams globally. “The match between Vietnam and Russia will be very exciting and will provide many lessons for us as we prepare for future goals,” he stated. “The players have had three days of training and understand the head coach’s philosophy. Our defensive line, in particular, will need to be highly focused against a strong opponent like Russia. I hope this will be a match where our defense performs at its best, offering fans an outstanding display,” Que Ngoc Hai concluded.
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