Vietnam U23 always makes things difficult for themselves.
The victory against U.23 Laos (2-1) in the opening match of SEA Games 33 helped U.23 Vietnam extend their winning streak against Southeast Asian teams in 2025 to 6 matches.
Specifically, Vietnam U23 defeated Laos U23 (3-0, 2-1), Cambodia U23 (2-1), Philippines U23 (2-1), Singapore U23 (1-0) and Indonesia U23 (1-0).
In 5 of those 6 victories, coach Kim Sang-sik's team could only overcome their opponents by a minimal margin. Most of the decisive goals also came in the second half, in the final 20 minutes of the match.
Vietnam U23 team completes final training session before crucial match against Malaysia U23.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
Under coach Kim Sang-sik, the physical fitness and fighting spirit of the Vietnam U23 team have improved significantly, with players maintaining their intensity, pressure, and alertness until the very last minutes. Therefore, even in matches where Dinh Bac and his teammates didn't play well, they still managed to win. However, the Vietnam U23 team still has a fatal weakness: a habit of starting slowly.
Coach Kim's players often make things difficult for themselves, struggling at the start, failing to impose their game, and finishing ineffectively in the first half. The victory against U23 Indonesia in the Southeast Asian Championship final was a rare instance where U23 Vietnam scored the decisive goal in the first 45 minutes.
Furthermore, even against weaker youth teams like the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, or most recently Laos, the Vietnam U23 team was always drawn into a back-and-forth game, unable to implement their tactical strategies, ultimately failing to take the lead.
Although the second half is always more important than the first in football, it's clear that the Vietnam U23 team will struggle to go far if they only unleash their full potential in the second half, as is their current bad habit.
The difficulties faced by the Vietnam U23 team stem from two reasons. Firstly, the cautious, defensive approach that coach Kim Sang-sik has applied from the national team to the U23 team. Dinh Bac and his teammates usually play defensively, probing to understand the opponent's capabilities before unleashing their full potential.
However, the Vietnam U23 team currently cannot completely dominate their opponents, whether against Laos or Cambodia. Coach Kim has not yet built a systematic and fluid ball distribution system, lacking a top-class tempo-controlling midfielder. Therefore, the Vietnam U23 team mainly plays to... avoid defeat first, then resolve the match with one or two specific situations.
Vietnam U23 team relies heavily on Dinh Bac's goal-scoring ability.
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG
In the crucial match against U23 Malaysia at 4 PM today (December 10th), U23 Vietnam only needs a draw to secure their place in the next round. However, their habit of starting slowly needs to be adjusted if they don't want to be overwhelmed by the opponent's pressure.
Malaysia U23 is a formidable opponent.
Ahead of their crucial match against Vietnam U23, Malaysia U23 received good news. Captain and defender Ubaidullah Shamsul and goalkeeper Haziq Mukhriz arrived in time to join the team on December 7th.
Coach Nafuzi Zain also welcomed Aliff Izwan Yuslan, a player who had just flown from Selangor FC to Thailand to join the training camp.
Besides Aliff Izwan Yuslan, the Malaysian U23 team also welcomes back defender Aiman Yusoff, who had to miss the match against Laos U23 due to a fever, but has now fully recovered.
With four key players on the field, the Malaysian U23 team will be much stronger than when they beat Laos U23 (4-1). For the past decade, Malaysian football teams have consistently lost to Vietnam at almost all levels. However, the fiery, skillful, and unpredictable style of play of the "Harimau Malaya" has always been a difficult obstacle to overcome. At the 32nd SEA Games, the Vietnamese U23 team had to exert all their strength and needed luck to win 2-1 against Malaysia U23.
A challenge for Kim Jong-un
PHOTO: NGOC LINH
The U23 Malaysia team is undertaking a crucial mission. The scandal involving the illegal naturalization of seven players, coupled with a heavy FIFA penalty, threatens to plunge Malaysian football into crisis. Regardless of whether the appeal is successful or not, this remains a major blow to the short-sighted policies of the Football Association of Malaysia.
Malaysia once had quality youth teams, such as the Malaysian Olympic team that defeated the South Korean Olympic team at the 2018 Asian Games, and the Malaysian U23 team reaching the quarterfinals of the U23 Asian Championship in the same year. However, the focus on naturalizing players and neglecting the youth teams has led to a serious decline in the performance of the Malaysian U23 team.
At this point, Malaysia needs to return to a more structured youth development program, with the U23 team being the most anticipated. Coach Zain understands the pressure, but also affirms that Malaysia is playing to win.
"The Tigers" are always an unpredictable team, forcing the Vietnam U23 team to keep a cool head. Playing cautiously for a draw, or fighting back to secure a victory – both options carry significant risks for coach Kim Sang-sik.
But to overcome the obstacles, one must know how to conquer the difficult turns. At 4 PM this afternoon, let's see what the Vietnam U23 team can achieve.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/muon-thang-dep-malaysia-de-vao-ban-ket-u23-viet-nam-can-sua-diem-yeu-chi-mang-185251210163606964.htm
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