Coach Kim Sang Sik: “The Vietnam U23 team will prepare very well for the third-place match.”

On the evening of January 20th (Vietnam time), the Vietnam U23 team will face the China U23 team in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Compared to the quarter-final match, coach Kim Sang Sik made only one change to the starting lineup, with Cong Phuong replacing Le Viktor. Meanwhile, the Chinese U23 team made six changes, especially in the attacking line, clearly showing coach Antonio Puche Vicente's intention to shift from a defensive to an offensive approach. In the first half, the Chinese U23 team started with a high defensive line, controlling the midfield and applying pressure from the beginning, making it somewhat difficult for the Vietnamese U23 team to implement their game plan.

Vietnam U23 played excellently against China U23.

At the 30th minute, Vietnam U23 suffered a major setback when center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh sustained an injury and was forced to leave the field, putting more pressure on the Vietnamese defense. Although they held firm until the end of the first half, goalkeeper Trung Kien's net was breached at the beginning of the second half. In the 48th minute, from a corner kick, center-back Peng Xiao rose high to head the ball into the net from close range, opening the scoring for China U23. Just two minutes later, a lack of marking in the midfield allowed the opponent to combine, before Xiang Yuwang unleashed a low shot to make it 2-0.

Having conceded two goals, coach Kim Sang Sik successively brought on forwards such as Dinh Bac, Van Thuan, Thanh Nhan, and Quoc Viet to strengthen the attack. However, the midfield failed to control the ball, leaving the forwards without the necessary support. The situation became even more difficult when, in the 74th minute, Pham Ly Duc received a red card and was sent off.

Despite not being able to participate in the final match for the championship, Coach Kim affirmed that the Vietnam U23 team still has reason to be proud.

Despite playing with ten men, the Vietnam U23 team still pushed forward, creating several opportunities towards the end of the match, but either failed to beat the China U23 defense or were brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Li Hao. In the 90+8th minute of added time, from a quick counter-attack, Wang Yudong unleashed a direct shot, sealing a 3-0 victory for China U23.

This defeat means that the Vietnam U23 team could not reach the final as fans had hoped. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team will play the third-place match against South Korea U23 on January 23rd.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, head coach Kim Sang Sik said: “First of all, I would like to sincerely apologize to the Vietnamese fans, both those present in the stadium and those watching on television, for our inability to win. I also want to thank the players, who fought until the very last minute, even playing with ten men, and still strived to score. Our journey in this tournament is not over yet, and the whole team will prepare well for the third-place match against South Korea U23.”

Despite not being able to participate in the final match for the championship, Coach Kim affirmed that the Vietnam U23 team still has reason to be proud: “We have proven that Vietnamese football is fully capable of competing at the continental level. My players may not be flashy stars, but with their organized play and strong team spirit, they have reached the semi-finals together.”

Looking back on the entire journey at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, coach Kim Sang Sik expressed satisfaction with what his players had shown, while emphasizing the need for continued improvement in the future: “I am pleased with the spirit, discipline, and effort of the whole team from the beginning of the tournament until now. However, after this tournament, the players will still have to improve in many aspects to be able to reach new heights.”

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-u23-viet-nam-se-chuan-bi-that-tot-cho-tran-tranh-hang-ba-20260121020725514.htm