Coach Kim Sang Sik and U23 Vietnam players on the training ground on the evening of July 23 - Photo: ANH KHOA
On the evening of July 23, the Vietnam U23 team went to the training ground in Indonesia to prepare for the semi-final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship against the Philippines U23 on July 25.
Having just played a match with U23 Cambodia on the evening of July 22, coach Kim Sang Sik divided the players into two groups to adjust the appropriate amount of exercise.
The starting players only do relaxation and recovery exercises. The remaining group continues to practice intensively with small group coordination, ball control and goal shooting.
Information from the medical department said that the U23 Vietnam team did not have any unfortunate injuries. Center back Ly Duc - who was injured after a collision in the match with U23 Cambodia and had to leave the field in the 71st minute - was examined and did not have any serious problems.
However, this 1m82 tall center back only stayed at the hotel to rest and did not go to the training field with his teammates.
Midfielder Xuan Bac answers questions before training session - Photo: ANH KHOA
Speaking before the training session, midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac shared his thoughts on his first start for the Vietnam U23 team in the 2-1 win over Cambodia U23 in the final round of Group B on July 22. He played as a central midfielder with Nguyen Van Truong, replacing Thai Son.
Xuan Bac said: "Thank you to the coaching staff for trusting me to play. I am satisfied that I tried my best and did not disappoint the trust of coach Kim Sang Sik."
Xuan Bac had a chance to score in the 50th minute after a corner kick from Quoc Viet. But the header from the PVF-CAND player was not dangerous enough to beat goalkeeper Reth Ly Heng.
He shared: "Not only me but my teammates missed many scoring opportunities. Coach Kim Sang Sik reminded us and trained us more on finishing situations to be more confident. My goal is to try to be on the starting list for the next match and perform my best."
Xuan Bac said that before going to the training ground, the U23 Vietnam team "dissected" the U23 Philippines team to assess the opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
"According to preliminary assessment, this is a strong team, playing closely. The coaching staff will come up with suitable tactics to win in the semi-finals," he said.
Otu Banatao - striker of Old Dominion University (USA) is the top scorer of U23 Philippines with 2 goals in the 2-0 victory over U23 Malaysia. This will be the name that the U23 Vietnam defense must keep an eye on in the upcoming match.
Xuan Bac shared: "We have been following that player. He has quite good technique. The coaching staff will come up with suitable tactics to stop the U23 Philippines' playing style, not just any player."
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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ly-duc-khong-ra-san-tap-u23-viet-nam-mo-bang-u23-philippines-20250723214139422.htm
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