U23 Vietnam won all the group stage matches, but the two victories against U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia did not satisfy the fans. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team want to defend the championship title and need to do better, and everyone is waiting for the performance of Khuat Van Khang and his teammates in the semi-final match against U23 Philippines - the second team in Group A.

In the last two matches, U23 Vietnam scored 5 goals and conceded 1 goal. Of the 5 goals scored by U23 Vietnam, the central defenders contributed 3 goals, all from set pieces. This shows that the defending champion's scoring and attacking plans lack diversity and rarely create breakthroughs.

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U23 Vietnam played quite poorly in the group stage. Photo: VFF

This is the problem that coach Kim Sang Sik must first solve when entering the semi-final match against U23 Philippines. In a match where mistakes and missed opportunities are not allowed, U23 Vietnam needs to show a positive appearance.

The common point in the two group stage matches is that U23 Vietnam faced difficulties and deadlocks when the opponent played close, was not afraid of collisions and actively pushed up the formation to compete fiercely. Compared to U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia, U23 Philippines is rated higher, so coach Kim Sang Sik's team must have solutions and apply them effectively.

In the group stage, U23 Philippines showed their discomfort when playing defensive counter-attacks. Bisong's outstanding role helped U23 Philippines defeat U23 Malaysia 2-0, and this striker will be a danger to U23 Vietnam's defense.

Compared to the group stage, U23 Vietnam not only has to solve the problem of scoring goals, but also has to play more focused in defense.

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U23 Vietnam confidently defeated the Philippines to enter the final. Photo: VFF

“We are confident when facing U23 Philippines. They are a strong and balanced team, but U23 Vietnam has analyzed this team and will try to win,” said coach Kim Sang Sik.

This was clearly the most difficult match for U23 Vietnam since the beginning of the tournament. Although they were rated higher than their opponents, only by playing to their full potential could coach Kim Sang Sik's team win and advance to the final of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

Expected lineup of U23 Vietnam : Trung Kien, Hieu Minh, Ly Duc, Nhat Minh, Van Truong, Anh Quan, Xuan Bac, Van Khang, Phi Hoang, Quoc Viet, Dinh Bac

Watch the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship live and in full on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhan-dinh-u23-viet-nam-vs-u23-philippines-16h-ngay-25-7-2425304.html