Coach Kim Sang-sik warns about the strength of U23 Philippines

TPO - On the afternoon of July 24, at the press conference before the semi-final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, coach Kim Sang-sik talked about the plan for U23 Vietnam to win a ticket to the final.

Vietnam U23 entered the semi-finals as the top team in Group B, after defeating Laos 3-0 and Cambodia 2-1. Meanwhile, the Philippines is the second best team in Group A. In Group A, they defeated Malaysia 2-0, lost to Indonesia 0-1 and then defeated Brunei 2-0.

“The U23 Philippines are very dangerous in their defensive counter-attacking style, especially the two players Otu Banatao and Javier Mariona who have very good speed and technique. Our defenders need to concentrate to neutralize them," said Coach Kim.

Regarding the squad, the Korean coach revealed that central defender Pham Ly Duc suffered an ankle injury during the training session before the match against U23 Cambodia, and his ability to play in the semi-finals is still uncertain: "We will continue to monitor in the training session this afternoon."

Looking back on the journey to the semi-finals, Mr. Kim expressed his satisfaction: "The two victories in the group stage were the result of the efforts of the whole team. We will continue to give our best and prepare carefully for the upcoming match."

Captain and goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien also expressed his determination: "My teammates and I have prepared very carefully. The whole team is maintaining high concentration for the remaining two matches with confidence and high discipline."

According to schedule, U23 Vietnam will face U23 Philippines at 4:00 p.m. on July 25 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta).

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-canh-bao-ve-suc-manh-cua-u23-philippines-post1763286.tpo