'Peace' before the great war

Before the match between U.23 Vietnam and U.23 Laos in the first round of Group B of men's football at the 33rd SEA Games, at a press conference yesterday (December 2), Coach Kim Sang-sik and Coach Ha Hyeok-jun showed respect for each other.

U.23 Laos is different from the past

In the most recent meeting at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, the Vietnam U23 team won 3-0 against Laos U23. Looking at the score, many people thought that coach Kim Sang-sik and his team had an easy game, but the truth is that the Laos U23 team made it very difficult for the young "Golden Star Warriors". Coach Kim Sang-sik even had to adjust his tactics after 10 minutes of play to get Khuat Van Khang's goal. It was not until the end of the second half that the Vietnam U23 team scored two more goals, from set pieces. Most recently, in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Laos team, with most of the U23 players, made the Vietnam team deadlocked. It was not until Xuan Son entered the field in the second half that the Laos team's net shook twice. Before that, the Vietnam team won this opponent 5-0.

Coach Ha Hyeok-jun and coach Kim Sang-sik (right) praised each other a lot at the press conference.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

That said, coach Ha Hyeok-jun has helped the Laos U.23 team in particular and the country's football in general to continuously progress. This coach has won the respect of his opponents. Coach Kim Sang-sik shared: "Under coach Ha Hyeok-jun, Laos has made remarkable progress. He has had a great influence on the playing style and team organization for Laos. He is highly skilled. I respect that very much." Therefore, the captain of the Vietnam U.23 team is also cautious: "This match will not be easy at all. We have prepared well, have focused and progressed step by step. The Vietnam U.23 team will try to achieve the goal in this match."

U.23 Vietnam is still better

In the opposite direction, coach Ha Hyeok-jun also gave his compatriot compliments: "I have known coach Kim Sang-sik for a long time. He is a good coach and has built a strong team. Facing his team, I believe that Laos will become more mature." Coach Ha Hyeok-jun said that the Laos U.23 team tried to get a favorable result against the Vietnam U.23 team but also implicitly confirmed that if they lost to the neighboring team, they would accept it. He said: "I set a very realistic goal, which is to win 1 match and lose 1 match. Hopefully we can qualify for the semi-finals. In this tournament, we have 2 players playing in Thailand, Phoutthavong Sangvilay (BG Pathum United) and Sayfon Keohanam (Suphanburi). I also expect this duo to shine to help the Laos U.23 team achieve the goal."

Match schedule of U.23 Vietnam in the group stage

This may not be an easy 90 minutes for the U.23 Vietnam team. Because all Vietnamese players clearly understand how important the SEA Games 33 gold medal is to football fans across the country. That is the motivation for Van Khang and his teammates to try, but it will also create a bit of pressure, making their legs less graceful. And the " peace " before the match will soon have to give way to a fierce battle, where the players cannot compromise on every square meter of grass to pave the way for the next calculations in the competitive Group B.

At the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the Vietnam U23 team beat Laos U23 in the opening match, then played better and better and won the championship. Hopefully, coach Kim Sang-sik's students will overcome the pressure, continue to win all 3 points against familiar opponents to maintain their "luck" and successfully conquer the SEA Games 33 gold medal.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoa-binh-truoc-gio-dai-chien-185251202210523929.htm