U.23 Vietnam: How did they beat U.23 Cambodia and become the Southeast Asian champion?

The hard-fought 2-1 victory over U.23 Cambodia shows that U.23 Vietnam needs to improve its tactics to win the U.23 Southeast Asian Championship.

U.23 Vietnam almost drew with Cambodia

The 2-1 victory over U.23 Cambodia on the evening of July 22 helped U.23 Vietnam complete Group B with 6 full points. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are the only team in the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament to win all matches in the group stage (U.23 Indonesia and U.23 Thailand both drew in the final round).

However, in terms of playing style, there are still many things worth mentioning in the way U.23 Vietnam operates. As Thanh Nien Newspaper analyzed before the match, U.23 Cambodia has a completely different approach to the match and operating style than U.23 Laos, and that difference at times puts U.23 Vietnam in a passive defense position.

Successfully overcome the "challenge" of U.23 Cambodia

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

While U.23 Laos spent the entire 90 minutes of the match against U.23 Vietnam defending in large numbers and conceding the game, U.23 Cambodia proactively pushed up the pressure and fought fiercely. Coach Koji Gyotoku's team played tough, surrounded and fought fiercely. When Mr. Kim's students started to take control of the game with smooth passing, U.23 Cambodia was ready to commit fouls to "cut" the match into pieces.

U.23 Vietnam has struggled before meeting a strong team. Is it capable of winning the championship?

Although the pressing and organization of the U.23 Cambodia team was not good enough to defeat the U.23 Vietnam team, it exposed the weaknesses of Van Khang and his teammates. The U.23 Vietnam team lacked a midfield capable of controlling and regulating the game. The players were still in a hurry, caught up in the opponent's style of play, and had many hasty moves.

When the center was blocked by the "human wall" of U.23 Cambodia, U.23 Vietnam mainly coordinated with the flanks and waited for the forwards to find space. 2 goals were scored against an opponent with immature defense and limited physique, but in the semi-finals (or finals if they win tickets), U.23 Vietnam will face teams with more aggressive pressing and better organization. It will not be easy for Van Khang and Phi Hoang to climb the flanks to cross or pass the ball like in this match.

U.23 Vietnam needs to improve with each match

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

In addition, after the match, coach Kim Sang-sik will "dissect the tape" and train the players in finishing skills, in the context that strikers like Quoc Viet and Van Truong are wasting opportunities. For players who have competed in many youth tournaments, the problem is not skills, but the mentality to handle the pressure properly. Regardless of the playing style, U.23 Vietnam needs to control the tempo and be calm in decisive situations.

Squad depth question mark

Compared to the match against U.23 Laos, coach Kim Sang-sik only changed 2 positions in the match against U.23 Cambodia. Le Viktor started in place of Dinh Bac as striker, Xuan Bac was arranged to play as central midfielder instead of Thai Son. The remaining 9 positions remained the same, showing Mr. Kim's cautious mentality.

However, the rare experiments of the Korean coach have not brought about results.

Xuan Bac only played averagely, while Le Viktor was lackluster. Although overseas Vietnamese Le Viktor ran hard, pressed actively and looked for space to coordinate, he was still out of sync with the rest. He was replaced in the middle of the second half. Obviously, despite his potential and experience in the V-League, to become a suitable piece in the U.23 Vietnam attack, Le Viktor needs more time.

Le Viktor (number 14) has not made an impression yet.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Just like the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik's substitutions were effective. He sent Dinh Bac onto the field in the second half and it was his student who headed the winning goal.

Other faces like Tuan Phong and Thanh Dat also helped U.23 Vietnam play better in the last 20 minutes.

In a short tournament, where form and adaptability are the keys for teams to decode the match, coach Kim's flexibility becomes a valuable asset for U.23 Vietnam.

Now is the time to "dissect" U.23 Philippines to prepare for the semi-finals. If they play at their full potential, U.23 Vietnam will win. However, how to play at their full potential under psychological pressure is the problem that Mr. Kim's students need to solve in the next 2 days of preparation.

U.23 Thailand struggled to hold U.23 Myanmar to a draw, will meet host Indonesia in the semi-finals

Watch the full 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Football Championship Mandiri Cup™ on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-da-mai-moi-thang-u23-campuchia-lay-gi-vo-dich-dong-nam-a-185250723071422444.htm