Coach Kim is very confident that Vietnam U23 will win the Rajamangala Championship like their predecessors, and he subtly reminded the referee...

Coach Kim Sang-sik believes the defense will be solid enough to neutralize the U.23 Thailand attack, helping U.23 Vietnam follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and win the gold medal at Rajamangala Stadium.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is confident that the Vietnam U23 team will once again win the Rajamangala Stadium title.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

The Vietnam U23 team has prepared very well.

On the afternoon of December 17th, Coach Kim Sang-sik represented the Vietnam U23 team at a press conference ahead of the SEA Games 33 final, where they will face host nation Thailand. It was evident that Coach Kim was very confident and relaxed, thanks to thorough preparation.

The coach, born in 1976, shared: "First of all, I am very happy that the Vietnam U23 team has reached the final of the SEA Games 33. We reached this final match thanks to the support of the Vietnamese people."

In particular, the team's success comes from the efforts of the players and the sacrifices of all the personnel in the team. There's a Vietnamese proverb that says, "With hard work, even iron can be sharpened into a needle," and because the whole team has put in their best effort, I hope for a good result in this final match."

Expecting fair refereeing

Coach Kim Sang-sik and Lee Duc pose for a photo with Coach Thawatchai and central defender Chanapach.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

In his speech, coach Kim Sang-sik also recalled the Vietnamese team's victory at Rajamangala Stadium in the second leg of the final, which secured the AFF Cup 2024 championship on their opponent's home ground.

He "reminded" the Thais: "The Thai U23 team has a well-organized playing style and many players with excellent individual ability, physical fitness, speed, and technique. Striker Yotsakorn Burapha has scored many goals in a very diverse style in this tournament, so we also need to pay close attention to him."

With Ly Duc here and the entire defense working well, we can achieve a good result. We will prepare thoroughly to have a good match.

The final match will be a battle of wits between coach Kim Sang-sik and Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

Tomorrow's final is very important for us, however we also have a match at the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship in January next year, so I think the most important thing is that the players of both teams play safely and avoid injuries.

The role of the referee is also extremely important. We hope the referees will work impartially to protect the players and create conditions for both teams to play fairly, so that today's important match can be played to the best of their ability.

In January of this year, our Vietnamese national team lifted the championship trophy at this stadium. I sincerely hope that in this match, the U23 Vietnamese players will also be able to lift the championship trophy to end 2025 on a high note."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-rat-tin-u23-viet-nam-se-dang-quang-tai-rajamangala-giong-dan-anh-nhac-nhe-trong-tai-185251217115020144.htm