Korean coach surprised by easy victory in debut match in Vietnam

Bae Ji Won couldn't conceal his excitement upon achieving his first victory in V-League as the head coach of Ninh Bình.

Ninh Bình secured a crushing 3-0 victory over PVF-CAND in round 19 of V-League. Notably, this also marked the first three points for Coach Bae Ji Won in his debut match with the ancient capital's team. After the match, the Korean strategist admitted he was quite surprised that his team achieved victory relatively easily.

He stated: "Tonight was truly fantastic. The players performed exceptionally well beyond expectations. Honestly, as a newly appointed head coach, I was very concerned about the team's fitness and professional adaptation. This absolute victory result surprised me."

Despite the convincing home victory, fan attention focused on Hoàng Đức's absence from the lineup. Explaining this decision, Coach Bae Ji Won said it was a deliberate calculation to ensure the key player's optimal condition for the long journey ahead.

Additionally, the former assistant coach of the Vietnam national team revealed he would consider bringing Hoàng Đức back after three missed matches.

The 63-year-old tactician admitted: "Hoàng Đức is now ready to play. However, we want to reserve him for more important upcoming matches. Next week, the team will face a very strong opponent, so I'm considering his return at that time to enhance the team's competitiveness."

In the next match, Ninh Bình will continue playing at home to host Hanoi. Despite the dream debut, Coach Bae Ji Won remained cautious about facing the Capital team.

He added: "The next match won't be simple at all. We need maximum focus. I have absolute trust in my assistant staff and players."

With this victory, Ninh Bình firmly consolidated their third-place position with 37 points, one point behind the team above Thể Công but having played one more match.