Vietnam U23 - the biggest challenge for China U23
On January 18th, the Beijing Youth Daily published a lengthy commentary stating that immediately after the match between China U23 and Uzbekistan U23 ended, the Chinese team's analysis and information department promptly transferred all match footage and edited materials of Vietnam U23's quarter-final victory against UAE U23 (along with other group stage matches of the AFC U23 Championship) to the coaching staff. While the players were still enjoying the victory, preparations for the semi-final were quietly underway.
Dinh Bac's superb header put Vietnam U23 ahead 2-1 against UAE U23.
According to the Beijing Youth Daily , compared to the previous four opponents, the Vietnam U23 team is the strongest opponent that the China U23 team will face in this year's tournament. The reason is that the current Vietnam U23 squad, to a certain extent, is the main reserve force for the Vietnamese national team. Many players in the team have participated in major tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Names like Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, etc., have all represented the Vietnamese national team numerous times and competed in important tournaments. Previously, with a core of players of U.23 age, the Vietnamese U.20 team made a name for itself by defeating Australia, Qatar, and many other strong opponents at the AFC U.20 Championship three years ago.
Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'I believe that Vietnamese football has reached a very high standard'
Coach Kim Sang-sik and his remarkable tactical vision.
Not only does the Vietnam U23 team possess a quality squad, but it is also led by head coach Kim Sang-sik - a former South Korean national team player who currently also serves as the head coach of the Vietnamese national team. After taking over both national teams from Philippe Troussier in mid-2024, Mr. Kim has made significant adjustments to tactics and personnel.
Chinese media have been closely following coach Kim Sang-sik's journey with Vietnamese football.
PHOTO: VFF
A Chinese newspaper quoted Vietnamese experts as saying that coach Kim Sang-sik is essentially continuing the coaching philosophy that helped Vietnamese football enter a "renaissance" period under coach Park Hang-seo. This philosophy focuses on discovering and giving opportunities to young players, optimizing the age structure of the squad, developing individual strengths, and adhering to a possession-based, short-passing style of play. This is also considered the foundation that helped Vietnamese national teams under Kim win consecutive titles in Southeast Asia.
While the Chinese U23 players were celebrating, their coaching staff was studying video footage of the Vietnamese U23 team's matches.
PHOTO: AFC
In this tournament, after four matches played, the Vietnam U23 team has won all of them. Although their ball possession rate in most matches was lower than their opponents, their attacking effectiveness was superior. Against each specific opponent, coach Kim Sang-sik always made flexible tactical adjustments: from a balanced 4-4-2 formation in the opening match against Jordan U23, switching to a 3-4-3 to strengthen the attack in the subsequent group stage matches, to using a defensive 5-4-1 formation, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack when facing UAE U23 in the quarterfinals.
Compared to the "adapting to changing circumstances" approach of the Chinese U23 team, the Beijing Youth Daily believes that the success of the Vietnamese U23 team stems from the diversity in their playing style, along with the relatively good individual technical skills of their players.
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-trung-quoc-mo-bang-u23-viet-nam-thang-uae-lap-phuong-an-nong-thang-ban-ket-185260118153417665.htm
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