Decoding the South Korean U23 team.

While not a perfect team, the South Korean U23 squad will be a major challenge for coach Kim Sang Sik's team in the third-place match at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

Defeating U23 South Korea (left) is not an impossible task for U23 Vietnam - Photo: AFC

First, it must be immediately acknowledged that the strengths and weaknesses of the Vietnam U23 team in this match will all revolve around one person: Coach Kim Sang Sik.

When building the playing style for the Vietnam U23 team, Coach Kim was somewhat influenced by the style of South Korean football. This could give him a significant advantage because he understands how the South Korean U23 team operates and can devise effective countermeasures.

But the question is whether the Vietnamese U23 team, which has a certain Korean influence, will be at a disadvantage when facing a real South Korean team.

Inheriting the national team

In the matches played so far, it can be affirmed that the South Korean U23 team is strong but not all-around. The overall structure of the South Korean national team has been relatively clearly reflected in the South Korean U23 team.

Coach Lee Min Sung's team stands out with their powerful playing style, thanks to their superior physique and stamina. The South Korean U23 team plays quite similarly to China, but at a higher level due to the quality of their players.

Therefore, this will be a major challenge because the Vietnam U23 team has revealed quite a few weaknesses when UAE and China used long balls to fully exploit their physical shortcomings. Especially since the number one central defensive pair of the Vietnam U23 team, Ly Duc and Hieu Minh, will be absent from this match.

Coach Lee Min Sung's preferred formation is the 4-4-2, which is considered outdated. However, for the South Korean U23 team, it has proven effective in achieving a balance between attack and defense. Nevertheless, the South Korean U23 team's attacking capabilities aren't particularly strong due to a lack of clear tactical patterns. This leaves them without a signature move to finish off opponents.

Graphics: M. TÁNH

Many limitations in gameplay.

But the biggest difference is that they always know how to score and make a difference through moments of individual brilliance. As for defense, with only 6 goals conceded in the tournament, the South Korean U23 team is one of the weakest among the semi-finalists.

The South Korean U23 defense often made mistakes and lacked concentration at crucial moments. Even the Japanese U23 team – which wasn't particularly tall – managed to finish off South Korea with a header in the semi-final.

Furthermore, the South Korean U23 defense always struggles against smaller but technically skilled players who are willing to make penetrating runs. This was clearly demonstrated in their loss to Uzbekistan in the group stage. This is a good suggestion for players like Dinh Bac, Van Khang, and Thanh Nhan of the Vietnamese U23 team.

Having both lost in the semi-finals, it's likely that neither team will place much emphasis on winning or losing in this third-place match. This could lead to an open, dramatic game with plenty of goals.

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HOAI DU

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giai-ma-u23-han-quoc-20260122234540397.htm