The Vietnam U22 team is embarking on a historic journey at the 33rd SEA Games. The team has received mixed reviews for its performance in the group stage, despite winning both matches against Laos U22 and Malaysia U22. In the semi-finals, Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad will face the Philippines U22, a team that has surprised everyone since the start of the tournament by winning both of their matches against Indonesia U22 and Myanmar U22.
Ahead of the SEA Games 33 semi-final match between Vietnam U22 and Philippines U22, taking place at 3:30 PM this afternoon (December 15th), a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper interviewed Scottish football expert Richard Harcus about Vietnam U22's journey so far and his assessment of their opponent, the Philippines U22.
The good performance in the match against U22 Malaysia is a promising sign for U22 Vietnam (Photo: Anh Khoa).
The Vietnam U22 team is not an easy team to predict.
The Vietnam U22 team has qualified for the SEA Games semi-finals after two victories against Laos U22 and Malaysia U22. How would you assess the performance of Coach Kim Sang Sik's team in the recent stages?
- Under coach Kim Sang Sik, the Vietnam U22 team always seems to start quite slowly. This was predicted beforehand. In the match against Laos U22, the players weren't particularly impressive, and even struggled at times. But importantly, they still achieved their goal. In the second match, Vietnam U22 performed much better against Malaysia U22.
So, in your opinion, what are the areas that need improvement for the current U22 Vietnamese players?
- For me, the main issue lies in the experience and development of the players. The current U22 players haven't yet reached their highest level of perfection and consistency in their playing style. That will come over time as they mature. In any case, the U22 Vietnamese players are all very young and will be honed to become more mature in the future.
Could you share the most notable tactical adjustments the coaching staff made in the match against U22 Malaysia?
- As I mentioned above, the Vietnam U22 team changed their approach in the match against Malaysia U22. Coach Kim Sang Sik instructed his players to launch an all-out attack. This tactic truly surprised Malaysia U22, as both teams only needed a draw to advance.
With Dinh Bac, Viktor Le, and Minh Phuc, they made excellent use of the flanks and organized powerful attacks. I think that was an interesting tactic by the Vietnam U22 team.
The unexpected opening attack by the Vietnam U22 team against the Malaysia U22 team caught their opponents by surprise (Photo: Anh Khoa).
Some people believe that the Vietnam U22 team has a monotonous and rather predictable playing style. What is your opinion on this assessment?
- I think the match against Malaysia showed that the Vietnam U22 team is not easy to predict. The team can score from many different positions. The Vietnam U22 team possesses many players capable of hurting their opponents. That's what makes Coach Kim Sang Sik's team more unpredictable. The lack of "true stars" can sometimes be an advantage for the Vietnam U22 team.
Which U22 Vietnam player impressed you the most during the tournament so far?
- Dinh Bac is clearly the most outstanding name for me, as well as for most fans. The good news is that he still has a lot of potential to develop further as he matures. I hope he develops in the right direction in his career. He could be a future star of Vietnamese football.
Dinh Bac is the most prominent name in the Vietnam U22 team (Photo: Anh Khoa).
Assessing the strength of the U22 Philippines team.
What "weapons" does the Vietnam U22 team still have that haven't been used yet and could be unleashed in the semi-finals?
Coach Kim Sang Sik wants his players to be in better physical condition. This could be a factor in helping the Vietnam U22 team dominate their opponents throughout the match. The relatively short schedule at the SEA Games 33 may allow the South Korean coach to unleash his secret weapon from the semi-finals onwards, when the Vietnamese players have had time to rest.
How would you assess the U22 Philippines team, Vietnam's opponent in the SEA Games semi-finals? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- Everyone can see that the U22 Philippines team is making significant progress at the SEA Games 33. Before the tournament, many underestimated them, which posed a potential danger. They played with renewed confidence, thanks to players trained in American and European football environments.
A potential weakness might be that their early success could easily overwhelm them when entering the knockout rounds. It's been 34 years since they last reached the semi-finals of a SEA Games. However, that needs time to be proven.
The U22 Philippines team created a big surprise at the tournament. They include many players who were trained in Europe and the US (Photo: PFF).
The U22 Thailand team secured convincing victories against U22 Timor Leste and U22 Singapore. Do you consider them the biggest rivals for U22 Vietnam in the race for the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games?
Without a doubt, the team that Vietnam U22 needs to be especially wary of is Thailand U22. They are desperate to win the gold medal on home soil, to end their long drought without a title. Thailand U22 demonstrated this in the group stage with convincing victories against Timor Leste U22 and Singapore U22.
Although not at their strongest, the U22 Thailand team is a solid foundation, with many players who have received professional training. Furthermore, the support of the home crowd will provide a great boost to the entire team. If they face U22 Thailand in the final, U22 Vietnam will have to perform at their best to have any hope of defeating their opponent.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/chuyen-gia-chau-au-u22-viet-nam-da-the-hien-bo-mat-kho-luong-20251214172523392.htm
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