European expert: Coach Kim Sang Sik has a "secret weapon," catching opponents by surprise.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - In an interview with Dan Tri, Scottish expert Richard Harcus affirmed that coach Kim Sang Sik was truly skillful in the match against the UAE U23 team. The Vietnam U23 team is confidently heading towards the semi-finals.

The Vietnam U23 team continued to impress at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship by winning 3-2 against the UAE U23 team in the quarter-finals. In this match, coach Kim Sang Sik displayed many sharp tactical moves.

Before the Vietnam U23 team faces the China U23 team in the semi-finals at 10:30 PM on January 20th, a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper interviewed Scottish football expert Richard Harcus. He shared his perspective on the Vietnam U23 team's journey so far and their chances of winning the championship.

Vietnam U23 showed a resilient spirit against UAE U23 (Photo: AFC).

Good physical fitness is a crucial factor for the Vietnam U23 team.

How would you rate the performance of the Vietnam U23 team against the UAE U23 team?

- In my opinion, the match had some tense moments, which is perfectly understandable. But overall, the Vietnam U23 team played with great determination from start to finish. That's fantastic for the fans.

Conceding goals repeatedly after scoring can psychologically affect many teams, including Vietnamese national teams in the past, but Coach Kim Sang Sik's U23 Vietnam team overcame this psychological pressure.

They adhered closely to the tactical plan set by the coach and were rewarded for their positive attitude. While the Vietnam U23 team often struggled physically towards the end of matches, they remained strong in the final moments of the second half and throughout extra time against the UAE U23 team. It was an incredible, almost perfect performance.

So, in your opinion, could superior physical fitness be considered the key factor that helped the Vietnam U23 team win in extra time?

- I think it's unfair to say that physical fitness was the only deciding factor, but it was certainly one of the important elements. Minh Phúc's decisive goal in the 101st minute came from a period of intense pressure that forced the UAE U23 team to make mistakes. That's just part of the overall picture.

The good form of center-backs like Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, and Nhat Minh was a crucial factor. Trung Kien's excellent saves were also a factor. Coach Kim Sang Sik's decision to bring Quoc Cuong in to replace the injured Xuan Bac to ensure the midfield remained uncontrolled was also a contributing factor.

Many pieces contributed to Vietnam U23's victory. Coach Kim Sang Sik deserves much praise for his sound tactics and accurate substitutions. Dinh Bac was not in the starting lineup, but played a huge role in this win.

The Vietnamese U23 defense still played well despite conceding two goals against the UAE U23 team (Photo: AFC).

The U23 Vietnam defense still deserves praise.

Speaking of Dinh Bac, do you think he is the "trump card" that helped coach Kim Sang Sik make a difference in the recent matches?

- Dinh Bac was truly outstanding after being brought on. He orchestrated many situations on the field. This striker completely transformed the U23 Vietnam attack. He assisted Le Phat's opening goal, then directly scored the second goal with a world-class backward header. He changed the tempo of the game and, as I said, I think he was a major turning point in the match.

Could conceding two goals against the UAE U23 team be seen as a wake-up call for the Vietnam U23 defense? Could you provide a more in-depth analysis of their defensive performance in that match?

- The trio of Hieu Minh, Ly Duc, and Nhat Minh stood firm like a real wall; they played excellently. It's true that the Vietnam U23 team conceded two goals, I acknowledge that. But the defensive ability to neutralize the aerial power of the UAE U23 team, which is a strength of the West Asian team, for most of the match was also a crucial factor.

Goalkeeper Trung Kien also deserves praise for his numerous close-range saves and his inspiring performance in the tense final minutes. That compensated for what I believe was his mistake that led to the first goal conceded.

According to him, are Vietnamese players becoming more mentally stronger and less fearful when facing strong opponents in Asia?

- Absolutely. Spirit and self-belief are incredibly important factors in football. Consecutive wins have created a good habit for the Vietnam U23 team. Currently, they have a winning habit and their spirit is to not fear any opponent. It's fantastic to see that.

Coach Kim Sang Sik showed his tactical prowess against the UAE U23 team (Photo: AFC).

Coach Kim Sang Sik has a "secret weapon".

According to statistics, coach Kim Sang Sik led the Vietnam U23 team to 15 consecutive victories. How would you evaluate his tactics and personnel management?

- Coach Kim Sang Sik's personnel management is very clear. The starting lineup was designed to wear down the opponent, at least that's how I saw it. The UAE players seemed shocked, and then Kim Sang Sik made some significant changes, and it worked very effectively.

By holding back what could be called their "secret weapon," coach Kim Sang Sik forced the UAE U23 team to expend too much energy early in the match, unaware that things were about to become much more difficult for them. I don't want to be disrespectful to the UAE U23 coaching staff, but they seemed unprepared and underestimated the strength of the Vietnam U23 team.

Vietnam U23 will face China U23 in the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Championship. How do you assess the chances of Coach Kim Sang Sik's team winning the title?

- Avoiding the Japanese U23 team is crucial, that's for sure. So let's hope we only meet them in the final. But the Vietnamese U23 team must not underestimate the Chinese U23 team, which has the best defense in the tournament.

Anyway, if the Vietnam U23 team continues to play like they did against the UAE U23 team, they have nothing to fear from any team.

Thank you for the conversation!

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/chuyen-gia-chau-au-hlv-kim-sang-sik-co-vu-khi-bi-mat-doi-thu-bi-bat-ngo-20260119010452415.htm