Best preparation for the opening match

Although rated higher, the U22 Vietnam team still cannot be subjective against U22 Laos in the opening match of SEA Games 33 on December 3.

Vietnam U22 team practices in Thailand on the afternoon of December 1 - Photo: CUONG NGUYEN

Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team took advantage of the opportunity to practice on the field as soon as they arrived in Thailand yesterday afternoon (December 1). All of this is to have the best preparation for the opening match as well as for the journey to hunt for gold at the 33rd SEA Games.

Quickly decode U22 Laos

Speaking before departure, coach Kim Sang Sik said the U22 Vietnam team needs to prepare well to not only beat U22 Laos but also win big to create an advantage before the confrontation with the main opponent U22 Malaysia on December 11.

The match video of the Vietnam team's 2-0 win over host Laos in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup has been prepared by the analysis team for the coaching staff to analyze in preparation for the 33rd SEA Games.

This was because the main squad of the Lao national team at that time had 8 U22 players. The 5-man defense caused a lot of difficulties for the star strikers of the Vietnamese national team in the first half. Only when naturalized strikers Nguyen Xuan Son and Pham Tuan Hai entered the field in the second half did everything change.

Under the training of coach Ha Hyeok Jun, the U22 Laos players have been given many opportunities to play in the national team for over a year. The progress is huge, not to mention the disciplined defensive style that this Korean coach has applied has been very well implemented by the young players.

The only weakness of the young Lao players is their poor physical foundation. This prevented them from maintaining their impressive defensive ability in the second half, leading to their opponents taking full advantage and scoring.

The Vietnamese team with the excellent central midfield duo Quang Hai - Hoang Duc had a hard time penetrating the U22 Laos defense. Meanwhile, the midfield of the U22 Vietnam team is seriously damaged by the absence of the leading player Nguyen Van Truong due to injury.

Therefore, Mr. Kim Sang Sik is forced to research and find a way to break the defense system of U22 Laos as soon as possible when there is not much time left for the opening match, especially the opening match which is usually very difficult.

The test of ambition

The opening match against U22 Laos is an important first step for the gold medal ambition of the U22 Vietnam team. Victory is necessary, but what experts and fans want to see more is a style of play that can put faith in a sublime SEA Games.

In fact, short tournaments always have unpredictable risks. From how to allocate forces appropriately to preserve the strength of the pillars, the playing conditions to injuries and penalty cards and the progress of strong opponents. U22 Laos is not a concern, but U22 Malaysia is different. A bad result can push U22 Vietnam to meet a strong opponent in the semi-finals.

According to the bracket announced by the organizers, if U22 Thailand finishes first in Group A, they will meet the second-placed team with the best record in Group B or C in the semi-finals. So if they do not finish first in Group B, U22 Vietnam can completely face the host team or championship candidate U22 Indonesia early.

Improve your scoring ability

Although U22 Vietnam is confident in its preparation, it is not completely assured with the plan without Van Truong. Everything can only be revealed in actual competition and must be adjusted gradually if limitations in attack or defense are revealed.

Coach Kim Sang Sik and the Vietnam U23 team defeated two moderate opponents, U23 Philippines (semi-final) and host U23 Indonesia (final), to win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship in July. But the SEA Games - Mr. Kim's first arena - is a different challenge, the opponents are also different and stronger. Especially U22 Indonesia when they gathered a better force, or U22 Thailand playing at home with the determination to win gold.

Mr. Kim has a solid and stable defense, but the midfield and attack are still not secure. Building a new central midfield duo and improving the strikers' scoring ability is something that the Korean coach must quickly complete.

Thai Son - Xuan Bac is probably the optimal choice for the midfield. But the attack line is not yet, and perhaps must be arranged for each different opponent because Mr. Kim's strikers are all ready for each other. Especially the wingers like Khuat Van Khang, Viktor Le, Thanh Nhan, Le Van Thuan, Ngoc My, Cong Phuong.

But looking at the positive side, U22 Vietnam has a very even and unpredictable squad. That will be the premise for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to surprise their opponents and achieve their goal of winning the gold medal.

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuan-bi-tot-nhat-cho-tran-ra-quan-2025120210212856.htm