A dream final between Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23?
The online newspaper Dailian published an article suggesting that the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship are opening up a unique scenario, with the possibility of a final between two South Korean coaches not being ruled out. The conditions for this scenario to occur are that Lee Min-sung's South Korean U-23 team defeats Japan's U-23 team, while Kim Sang-sik's Vietnamese U-23 team defeats China's U-23 team.
Coach Kim Sang-sik is achieving great success with the Vietnam U23 team.
PHOTO: AFC
South Korea U23 coach Lee Sung-min has regained the fans' trust after the quarter-final match.
PHOTO: AFC
Dailian commented that the South Korean U23 team under coach Lee Min-sung showed their mettle at the right moment. After a group stage that raised many doubts, the team from the land of kimchi showed a different face in the knockout round. They convincingly defeated Australia U23 2-1 in the quarterfinals. The change in tactical formation and the significant improvement in their defense helped South Korea U23 regain confidence before their semi-final match against the defending champions – and the team considered the strongest in the tournament, Japan U23.
Dailian also paid close attention to the Vietnamese U23 team, where coach Kim Sang-sik is creating what the newspaper calls "Kim Sang-sik's magic." Korean media highly praised the Vietnamese U23 team's journey, winning all their group stage matches before defeating the UAE U23 team 3-2 in the quarterfinals. According to Dailian, coach Kim Sang-sik is somewhat replicating the mark left by another Korean coach in Vietnam, Park Hang-seo, with a tightly organized, disciplined, and energetic playing style.
Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'I believe that Vietnamese football has reached a very high standard'
"Kim Sang-sik's magic" and the challenge named Li Hao
Vietnam's U23 team faces China's U23 team in the semi-finals, a team described by the Dailian newspaper as a prime example of pragmatic play. The newspaper suggests that the biggest challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his players lies in finding a way to break through China's tight defense, a team that overcame Uzbekistan's U23 team despite creating almost no clear attacking opportunities in 120 minutes. The biggest challenge for Vietnam's U23 team is goalkeeper Li Hao – arguably the best goalkeeper in the tournament so far. China's U23 team has yet to concede a goal but has also only scored one.
Chinese U.23 goalkeeper makes a spectacular save.
According to Dailian, if the Vietnam U23 team wins against China, and the South Korea U23 team overcomes Japan, the 2026 AFC U23 Championship will witness a rare final between two South Korean coaches. This is considered a highly symbolic scenario, reflecting the increasingly prominent influence of South Korean coaches in Asian football.
However, Dailian emphasized that both coaches Kim Sang-sik and Lee Min-sung still have very big challenges to overcome in the semi-finals. Only by defeating opponents with contrasting styles like China and Japan can the prospect of a "dream final" between the two Korean coaches become a reality.
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bao-han-quoc-muon-hlv-kim-sang-sik-dau-tri-dong-huong-lee-min-sung-o-chung-ket-u23-chau-a-185260118121136366.htm
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