Compared to their opponents, coach Kim Sang-sik's team had an advantage thanks to studying and observing U23 Laos' match with U23 Cambodia on July 16. Although they opened the scoring, U23 Laos showed many shortcomings in ball control and finishing and were held to a 1-1 draw by their opponents.
Too enthusiastic, lack of experience
To advance to the semi-finals of the tournament, coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team needs to beat U23 Vietnam or at least draw to rekindle hope of advancing with the spot reserved for the second-placed team with the best record.
Despite being considered the weakest team in Group B, U23 Laos has started the tournament quite well. Coach Ha Hyeok-jun and his team confidently deployed their signature defensive counter-attacking formation and took advantage of opportunities to score goals against U23 Cambodia.
In fact, Laos's tactical tactics are similar to those of U23 Vietnam at the 2018 U23 Asian Cup (Changzhou, China), where Park Hang-seo's team won the runner-up position. Giving control of the ball to the opponent, actively defending on the home field and choosing the right time to counterattack quickly on the wing. The basic attack helps the "underdog" team to be effective, thereby Phousomboun Panyavong scored the first goal for U23 Laos at this U23 Southeast Asian Cup.
The Vietnam U23 team is actively practicing for the opening match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon, July 19. (Photo: VFF)
The young players of Laos are full of enthusiasm but lack practical experience. They gradually lost strength when constantly defending and could not keep a clean sheet in the second half of the opening match. However, 1 point in the first match of the group stage is also a relatively good result for U23 Laos, rekindling the hope of advancing if they create a surprise against U23 Vietnam.
Squad depth
In Group B, the U23 Vietnam team is the number 1 seed competing for a place in the semi-finals. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has made careful preparations ahead of the tournament, aiming to successfully defend the "throne" of the U23 Southeast Asia 2025.
The Korean strategist built a preparation roadmap for U23 Vietnam similar to the national team's journey to win the AFF Cup 2024. The training program for young players is focused on maximizing, helping to perfect techniques and tactics.
Previously, from 2024, the U23 Vietnam players were given the opportunity to practice together with their senior national team teammates during FIFA Days. Under the guidance of coach Dinh Hong Vinh, the U23 Vietnam team has made progress, as shown by the results of two training trips and international friendly matches in China.
U23 Vietnam came to Indonesia this time with a well-balanced force, in good physical condition, and with high professional quality. The core of the defending champion is young talents who are at their peak, shining in the domestic arena last season and have also been on the Vietnam national team many times such as Van Khang, Van Truong, Dinh Bac, Trung Kien or Thai Son...
The superiority in class, experience and depth of the squad makes U23 Vietnam rated much higher by domestic and foreign experts than the two opponents in the same group.
This is the first time coach Kim Sang-sik has directly led the U23 Vietnam team to compete internationally since signing a contract with the VFF in April 2024. Although the immediate goal is the U23 Southeast Asian Championship in Indonesia, through this tournament, Mr. Kim also has long-term calculations for the next two important milestones, including: the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers held in Vietnam and the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand in December 2025.
An expected victory is completely within the reach of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. In the last 5 encounters, U23 Vietnam won all 5 matches against U23 Laos, scoring a total of 20 goals and only conceding 2 goals. Most notably, U23 Vietnam won 4-1 in August 2023. U23 Laos' recent form has not been very positive, having gone 5 consecutive matches without a win (2 draws, 3 losses).
Source: https://nld.com.vn/giai-u23-dong-nam-a-2025-u23-viet-nam-huong-toi-chien-thang-truoc-lao-196250718221205682.htm
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