The purpose of this change was to allow Coach Kim to sit closer to his interpreter for easier listening, discussion, and answering of questions.

The pre-match press conference for the fourth round of Group A was held at two separate venues. While Vietnam held its press conference at Pakansari Stadium in Bogor, the match venue, Indonesia's press conference took place at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, the capital. These two locations are approximately 70 km apart.

Initially, Coach Kim had intended for captain Quang Hai to attend, but at the last minute, he brought goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang instead.

Upon entering the press room, Coach Kim noticed the organizers had incorrectly placed the nameplates, positioning him near the moderator while Le Giang was on the other side. Immediately, the South Korean tactician took the nameplate and swapped seats with Le Giang without consulting the organizers.

To carefully listen and address challenging questions before the important match, Coach Kim brought a pen and paper, diligently taking notes to respond to both Vietnamese and host country media.

At the start of the conference, Coach Kim confidently declared that Vietnam had come to win, not merely to secure one point.

Coach Kim then turned and patted Patrik Le Giang on the shoulder, saying, "I am completely at ease because we always have an excellent goalkeeper like Patrik Le Giang behind us," after which both men smiled brightly.

When asked why he was not wearing his lucky black shirt, opting for a white one when Vietnam drew 0-0 with Singapore, Coach Kim scratched his head for a few seconds before stating that if Indonesia did not wear black in this upcoming match, he would continue to wear his black shirt, which he considers his good luck charm.

When a Vietnamese reporter asked about Vietnam's lack of a defensive midfielder and the perceived ineffectiveness of the Hoang Duc - Quang Hai pairing, Coach Kim smiled, pointed at the reporter, and said, "Thank you for pointing that out. This is an issue we have been pondering. However, I cannot reveal too much, as the Indonesian media is also observing this press conference."

Coach Kim fostered a comfortable and open atmosphere, a departure from previous press conferences. After the conference concluded, he even went down to shake hands and greet the Vietnamese reporters. In the evening, after dinner, he and his colleagues went to the supermarket together.

Goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang, attending his first press conference, consistently smiled brightly and emphasized that the team would fight with all their might to bring joy to the fans.

Vietnam currently ranks third in Group A with 4 points, trailing Indonesia by 2 points and Singapore by 3 points, respectively. Therefore, Coach Kim Sang-sik's team needs at least one scoring draw against Indonesia to keep their hopes alive.

Duc Dong (from Bogor)