Due to playing on artificial turf, the Vietnam national football team had to adjust their training approach upon arriving in the Philippines to prepare for the challenges ahead.
On the evening of December 16, local time, the Vietnam national team held their first training session at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, where they will face the host team, the Philippines, on December 18 as part of Group B in the 2024 ASEAN Championship.
Having just completed their match against Indonesia and traveled from Hanoi to Manila, Coach Kim Sang Sik divided the team into two groups. The players who had participated in the previous match did light training to relax and recover, while the remaining players focused on drills involving team coordination, attack, and defense.
Rizal Memorial Stadium uses artificial turf, which is expected to present some challenges for the Vietnam team. However, this is not seen as a significant obstacle. During their pre-tournament training camp in South Korea, the players had already become accustomed to similar conditions, having trained and played on the artificial turf at Smart AirDome Gyeong Ju.
On December 17, Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will hold their second training session at Rizal Memorial Stadium. The South Korean coach is working hard to ensure the team has the depth needed to cope with the tournament’s demanding schedule and frequent travel.
Coach Kim emphasized that there is no distinction between starting players and substitutes. The team’s lineup will be determined based on each match, and every player must be ready to step onto the field whenever the coaching staff calls upon them.
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