2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship Final: A 'fiery' test at Gelora Bung Karno.

TP - Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have gone through a long journey before reaching the final, and the confrontation with host U23 Indonesia at the "cauldron" of Gelora Bung Karno will be the final test to affirm the mettle of the champions.

Sharpening the craft

“The pressure at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is immense, but I'm not intimidated. U23 Indonesia is a strong team, possessing many quality players and having the home advantage. However, U23 Vietnam is ready and will strive to win and defend our championship title.” This was the statement of striker Nguyen Dinh Bac during a training session in Jakarta with the U23 Vietnam team.

Dinh Bac has scored two goals in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, a performance that isn't exceptionally high but demonstrates consistency in each game thanks to coach Kim Sang-sik's rotation policy in the attacking line. In fact, across the three group stage and semi-final matches, the South Korean coach has maximized opportunities for young players to gain experience, with the long-term goal for Vietnam U23 being the SEA Games 33 (Thailand). This is the focus of Vietnamese football this year.

Dinh Bac was also one of the three names that the host country's media paid special attention to before the final match at Gelora Bung Karno. The other two were Hieu Minh and Khuat Van Khang.

Despite playing as a center-back, Hieu Minh has scored two goals through attacking contributions. This is also a "weapon" for the Vietnam U23 team when opponents play tight defense and the path to the goal is blocked. Khuat Van Khang is experienced thanks to his V-League career with The Cong Viettel . He was also named in the Vietnam national team that won the ASEAN Cup 2024.

The Vietnamese U23 attack is expected to be sharper when facing the Indonesian U23 team.

The Vietnamese U23 attack, which has squandered many opportunities in the previous three matches, is expected to be sharper when facing the Indonesian U23 team. In the two recent training sessions, coach Kim Sang-sik has focused particularly on "shaping" the forwards, in addition to requiring the defense to play more focused, maintain their formation, and provide better cover.

Indonesia will play tough.

That was the prediction of a member of the Vietnamese U23 coaching staff when assessing their opponent. After the semi-final, coach Kim Sang-sik had the players watch video footage and analyze the playing style of the Indonesian U23 team.

The home team possesses a mobile, powerful, and very physical midfield. In the semi-final match between U23 Indonesia and U23 Thailand, the referee repeatedly had to issue yellow cards to players from both sides after fierce challenges.

The burden could fall on Khuat Van Khang's shoulders, as the midfield needs to play more cohesively and with greater versatility to ensure both attacking and defensive support from afar. U23 Indonesia is full of ambition, aiming for their first championship title, and on home soil at that. For U23 Vietnam, successfully defending their top position would be a continuation of a new peak, a crucial stepping stone for the SEA Games 33 later this year in Thailand.

The Vietnamese U23 players have been warned to mentally prepare for "aggressive" tackles from their opponents. Home advantage allows the Indonesian U23 team to easily implement their game plan, even though the organizers plan to use VAR technology in the final. Therefore, the Vietnamese U23 team needs to keep a cool head to ensure no mistakes, however small, occur.

The Vietnamese U23 team also needed to play solidly on the flanks, as both wings of the Indonesian U23 team had players with good speed. The Indonesian U23 team's attacks were quite diverse, and they could switch from defense to attack very quickly when needed.

Dinh Bac admitted that the Vietnam U23 team needs to improve its finishing, and is not afraid of the "fiery cauldron" of Bung Karno.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chung-ket-u23-dong-nam-a-2025-phep-thu-chao-lua-gelora-bung-karno-post1764435.tpo