SEA Games 33: Can Mr. Kim Sang-sik withstand the pressure with U23 Vietnam?

Coach Kim Sang-sik is about to face a thousand pounds of pressure at SEA Games 33 (PLO photo)

These factors may put a heavy burden on the U23 Vietnam team and coach Kim Sang-sik when entering the race at SEA Games 33. In fact, the expectations that the sports leaders have for the entire team are very high. The reason is that after 2 consecutive seasons in the No. 1 position, Vietnam is forced to aim for SEA Games 33 with the goal of defending its title.

Reality shows that this is not an easy task, if not extremely difficult. Up to now, Vietnam has only won the overall title 3 times, and 2 of them were on home soil. The host position brings certain advantages, including the selection of strong competition events.

In most other races, Thailand always takes the top position, and excels in many of its strong subjects and events. This is thanks to the foundation of facilities, financial resources and human resources of the Golden Temple country's sports.

In football alone, Thailand is showing great ambition to win gold medals in all four events (men's and women's football and futsal). After many recent failures, FAT President Madam Pang is not sparing any money in investing in the race at SEA Games 33. FAT and the coaching staff of the Thai U23 team are mobilizing support from clubs to have the strongest force.

With U23 Vietnam, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have reason to be confident because over the past 2 years, the young generation has been "taken care of" very carefully. This year alone, the members participating in the 33rd SEA Games have been continuously trained in the U23 Vietnam jersey through tournaments such as the 2025 Southeast Asia U23, the 2026 Asian U23 Qualifiers and foreign training sessions. This month, U23 Vietnam will continue to be given the opportunity to participate in an international friendly tournament in China, the CFA Team China Panda Cup 2025.

However, caution is not superfluous because, as mentioned above, the pressure from fans and expectations from the sports industry for U23 Vietnam is especially great. It requires coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to have a "steel" spirit to be able to overcome. This is the time for Mr. Kim Sang-sik to show his experience in coaching when, in addition to expertise, young players need to be trained to have a strong mentality.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/sea-games-33-ong-kim-sang-sik-co-chiu-duoc-ap-luc-voi-u23-viet-nam-post1793044.tpo