Coach Kim Sang-sik explains the special 'code' through... a towel, overflowing with happiness for U.23 Vietnam

Coach Kim Sang-sik affirmed that U.23 Vietnam has prepared carefully for the victory over U.23 Indonesia in the final of U.23 Southeast Asia on the evening of July 29.

Coach Kim Sang-sik praises U.23 Vietnam

"I want to send my most sincere thanks to the players, to everyone. I am proud of U.23 Vietnam. Thank you to the fans for accompanying the team," coach Kim Sang-sik excitedly said after U.23 Vietnam's 1-0 victory over U.23 Indonesia in the Southeast Asian final.

U.23 Vietnam overcame the pressure on the Gelora Bung Karno stadium with nearly 80,000 spectators from the host U.23 Indonesia. With a reasonable defensive counter-attack strategy, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team neutralized the U.23 Indonesia attack, and scored a "golden" goal thanks to young talent Cong Phuong to win the championship hat-trick.

Coach Kim Sang-sik attended a press conference with striker Nguyen Dinh Bac.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

"I know the match against U.23 Indonesia is very difficult, but I believe in the players, because we have been working hard to prepare for the past month. Although U.23 Vietnam faced difficulties and pressure, the whole team fought together to achieve this success," coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized.

"I am very happy to win Indonesia. This is the third championship in a row. The players did not give up, fighting until the last minute. Congratulations to the players, congratulations to the Vietnamese fans. Even though the stadium was full of Indonesian spectators, the players still played very passionately."

What did coach Kim Sang-sik say about the white towel that his assistant waved at the end of the match?

Special action of coach Kim Sang-sik

"I'm very happy to win. Through matches like this, the players will develop even more," coach Kim Sang-sik told the press after the match.

The Korean strategist also explained his very special actions during the match, such as reacting (even... bowing to the referee), blocking the opponent's throw-in, or asking his assistant to wave a towel to signal.

The towel becomes an important 'member' of the Vietnam U.23 team

"At that time, the players were tired. I had to do something to give them more energy to fight," said coach Kim Sang-sik. "When playing in front of a crowd, it is difficult for me to direct the players with words. Therefore, I came up with a signal: when waving a towel, the whole team will press together."

However, there are still points that make coach Kim Sang-sik unsatisfied, including creating attacking opportunities: "With difficult away matches, U.23 Vietnam could not create many opportunities. However, we defended with all our might to maintain a 1-goal difference."

The championship at Indonesia's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium also helped coach Kim Sang-sik become the first coach in the history of Vietnamese football to win two championships on away field by defeating the home team in the final.

At the 2024 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team defeated Thailand in the second leg of the final with a score of 3-2 at Rajamangala Stadium, and then lifted the trophy right on Thai soil. At the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, U.23 Vietnam defeated host U.23 Indonesia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium with a score of 1-0 to lift the championship on the opponent's field.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-ly-giai-am-hieu-dac-biet-qua-chiec-khan-tam-hanh-phuc-dang-trao-vi-u23-viet-nam-185250729232853857.htm