U.23 Vietnam still struggled to play against Laos, how to win the SEA Games: Only coach Kim can answer

U.23 Vietnam, play simple

Dinh Bac's double helped U.23 Vietnam defeat U.23 Laos 2-1 in the opening match of SEA Games 33, temporarily taking the top spot in Group B.

In terms of both situation and score, coach Kim Sang-sik's students have not yet reached expectations. U.23 Vietnam opened the score thanks to Dinh Bac, but let U.23 Laos equalize because the corner kick bounced off the crossbar and changed direction, causing the defense to struggle to watch the opponent tap the ball in.

Dinh Bac’s winning shot to seal the 2-1 victory did not dispel the worrying reality. Against an underdog opponent, Kim and his team had the ball a lot, but only won by a moment. Even the dominance of U.23 Vietnam was not clear, as the ball mainly rolled outside the Laos penalty area.

U.23 Vietnam still struggled to play against Laos, how to win the SEA Games: Only coach Kim can answer - Photo 1.

U.23 Vietnam (white shirt) won with difficulty - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

There is no denying that Lao football in general and U.23 Laos in particular are making strong progress. In 3/5 recent matches at the national team and U.23 level, Laos held Vietnam to a draw in the first half. Discipline, tightness and determination helped U.23 Laos create a tight defense, locking down both the flanks and the middle. However, looking at the opening match, U.23 Vietnam won with difficulty because Mr. Kim's students made things difficult for themselves, rather than their stubborn opponents.

The clearest moment reflecting the deadlock of U.23 Vietnam happened in the 20th minute. The ball from the midfield was passed to the right wing for Thanh Nhan. At that time, the coaching staff shouted: "Simple". Coach Kim Sang-sik and his assistant wanted Thanh Nhan to pass back to the teammate behind, to cross the ball in or continue to coordinate in the middle.

However, Thanh Nhan still tried to break through, only to lose the ball.

Just like when Coach Park Hang-seo was in charge, U.23 Vietnam is being built to play well as "underdogs", rather than "overdogs". When playing defensively, focusing on maintaining the team's distance to defend and then counterattack with just 3 or 4 passes, Coach Kim's students do well.

However, when having to attack and impose the game against a deep-lying opponent, U.23 Vietnam became impatient. Dinh Bac and his teammate, who were used to "hitting fast and winning fast", instead of coordinating their passes systematically, formed groups of passes with clear lines to break through the concrete.

In 3/4 of the most recent matches against weaker teams such as Cambodia, Bangladesh, Singapore, Yemen, U.23 Vietnam only won by 1 goal. The match against U.23 Laos was no exception.

Because against weaker opponents, U.23 Vietnam cannot (or cannot) play "simple" as the coaching staff ordered. In the opening match against Laos, Thanh Nhan, Van Khang, Thai Son and Xuan Bac all had to deal with situations that required decisiveness and simplicity.

U.23 Vietnam still struggled to play against Laos, how to win the SEA Games: Only coach Kim can answer - Photo 2.

Dinh Bac progressed thanks to knowing how to control unnecessary movements - PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Of course, "simple" football is always the most difficult, as it requires players to have sharp thinking, know where to stand, how to handle the situation, shoot or pass to achieve optimal efficiency.

Change the way you play

Both goals against U.23 Laos were scored by U.23 Vietnam in a minimalist style.

In the opening goal, U.23 Vietnam pressed to win the ball, opened to the left wing for Minh Phuc to cross for Dinh Bac to score.

To increase the score to 2-1, Thanh Nhan received the pass, accelerated on the right wing and then passed the ball back to Dinh Bac near the edge of the penalty area. The striker born in 2004 turned and kicked with his left foot to score.

Fast, few touches, choosing the right time, finding the right space to attack, U.23 Vietnam defeated U.23 Laos with lightning-fast tactics, in the match coach Kim Sang-sik and his team wasted most of their time on complicated handling situations. Unable to defeat deep-lying defenses (even though the opponent was only U.23 Laos) with a steady pace of play, U.23 Vietnam needed to be tough and decisive.

Since the match against U.23 Malaysia, U.23 Vietnam has not faced weak opponents. Playing tight and waiting for the right moment is the style of play that Dinh Bac and his teammates like.

At that time, U.23 Vietnam will be different. With youth football, each match is a different picture, unrelated to each other.

However, it is necessary to recognize the deadlocks and limitations in the attack to build suitable formations. Dinh Bac deserves to be a support, but as for the positions of Quoc Viet and Thanh Nhan, Coach Kim needs to adjust. Xuan Bac's injury also leaves a gap, which U.23 Vietnam needs to study again.

U.23 Vietnam is still, and could have been, much better than this!