U.23 Vietnam needs a real striker to 'hunt' for SEA Games gold

Winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship and qualifying for the 2026 Asian U.23 Championship is a commendable achievement, but the Vietnam U.23 team still has issues that need to be improved to achieve the goal of winning the 33rd SEA Games gold medal.

U.23 HIEU A "KILLER" IN THE PENALTY AREA

Up to this point in 2025, the Vietnam U.23 team under the leadership of coach Kim Sang-sik has met expectations in terms of achievements. First was the Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, where young players demonstrated their courage to overcome difficulties and solidarity to step up to the highest podium. Next, the Golden Star team made its mark when it passed the Asian U.23 qualifying round, officially participating in the final round taking place in 2026. These results once again affirm the position of Vietnamese youth football in the region, at the same time adding confidence before embarking on the journey to conquer the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand at the end of this year.

Dinh Bac (left) is a good striker of U.23 Vietnam

PHOTO: MINH TU

However, U.23 Vietnam still has problems that need to be improved, especially the stability of the squad. U.23 Vietnam often changes the starting lineup, rotates personnel, especially in the attack. As a result, although the team has a uniform squad of players, the playing style is not really convincing at some points of the match, and lacks a striker who can bring about an explosion throughout. From the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament to the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers, many U.23 Vietnam players have played the role of heroes with important goals. This is a positive signal, reflecting a diverse and collective playing style that does not depend on individuals. Commentator Vu Quang Huy commented: "Rotating the attack, even completely replacing the striker group is a practical way of Coach Kim Sang-sik, to ensure diversity in U.23 Vietnam's playing style, bringing unpredictability to the opponent". But from another perspective, not having a stable striker is also a limitation. When lacking a "killer" in the penalty area, U.23 Vietnam sometimes has to rely on timely goals, instead of the certainty of a striker who knows how to decide the match.

According to Mr. Quang Huy, compared to the period when the Vietnamese team won two consecutive gold medals at SEA Games 30 (2019) and 31 (2022), the current U.23 Vietnam squad lacks a player with the appearance of Nguyen Tien Linh.

U.23 Vietnam conquers SEA Games 33 gold medal: Why not?

WAITING FOR DINH BAC AND COLLECTIVE COURAGE

However, coach Kim Sang-sik is the one who knows the team's situation and the performance of each individual at each specific time the best. Moreover, each coach has his own style and is responsible for his own views. Therefore, the personnel and tactical options proposed by Mr. Kim need to be respected.

And in the overall picture with many unfinished colors, U.23 Vietnam still has bright spots. One of the biggest hopes in the U.23 Vietnam attack at the moment is Nguyen Dinh Bac. The striker born in 2004 possesses a technical foundation, diverse finishing ability and has made his mark many times at the youth level, even in the Vietnam national team. In case Mr. Kim wants to build a real spearhead for U.23 Vietnam, the striker from Nghe An can meet the requirements. Mr. Quang Huy commented: "Among the players playing in the U.23 Vietnam attack, Dinh Bac is the name that has the coolness and sharpness in handling and finishing. Of course, there are still many good strikers who have a good role in stirring up the opponent's defense, but Dinh Bac is still the one with the most calmness and stability. Many good players, but when facing a tense match, are still affected psychologically. As for Dinh Bac, I think that in any situation, he can still show his best qualities. Besides, Mr. Kim also uses people very skillfully. Although Dinh Bac is the most potential player, he is still not sure of a starting position. The Korean coach will put Dinh Bac on the field at decisive moments to finish off the opponent."

Commentator Quang Huy also emphasized that the collective factor is the decisive strength for the success or failure of U.23 Vietnam at SEA Games 33. In this regard, coach Kim Sang-sik's team is highly appreciated for possessing many players with battle spirit. "U.23 Vietnam basically has a good force. Although the U.23 generation has many players who have been selected for the national team, they have even participated in SEA Games 32. Previously, previous coach Philippe Troussier had massively rejuvenated the team, although it was not effective, it also brought positive results. Under Mr. Troussier, young players were exposed to a lot of competition early, thereby accumulating real-life experience. Therefore, many positions of U.23 Vietnam are now strong and experienced in international competition. In terms of competition experience, U.23 Vietnam is the team that is most highly appreciated in the upcoming SEA Games," said Mr. Huy.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-can-trung-phong-dich-thuc-de-san-vang-sea-games-185250914224241464.htm