The forward line continues to be a cause for concern.
Before the start of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, coach Kim Sang-sik was forced to drop Vietnamese-born striker Alex Bui because the player did not meet the required professional standards. A few months earlier, the Vietnamese U23 forward line had suffered a major blow following Bui Vi Hao's injury. Then, just as the Vietnamese U23 team arrived in Indonesia for the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, another setback occurred: right winger Nguyen Thanh Nhan suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the tournament.
The Vietnamese U.23 forwards (in white shirts) have not been truly effective.
Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang
Therefore, it's no surprise that the forward line is the area causing the most concern for the Vietnam U23 team at this time. Coach Kim Sang-sik was forced to make adjustments to suit the reality. The South Korean coach rotated two strikers, Nguyen Quoc Viet and Nguyen Dinh Bac, in the center forward position in the match against Laos U23 on the evening of July 19th. However, they both have certain weaknesses.
Nguyen Quoc Viet is at a disadvantage in terms of physique (only 1.73 m tall), making it almost impossible for him to overpower the opposing defense or gain an advantage in aerial duels, thus hindering his ability to perform well as a center forward. Meanwhile, Nguyen Dinh Bac plays better, maintaining better ball control and maneuvering more effectively through the opposing defenders than Nguyen Quoc Viet. However, Dinh Bac hasn't yet broken his habit of drifting completely to the left wing, as his preferred position is left winger.
The strikers failed to score any goals against Laos U23 (all three goals for Vietnam U23 were scored by midfielders and defenders), which could worry coach Kim Sang-sik. This was also a shortcoming of the Vietnam U23 team in their opening match. When the strikers don't play well, it inevitably leads to our attacking moves not being very strong in the opening match, and the forward line lacking coordination.
U.23 Vietnam won big against U.23 Laos, coach Kim Sang-sik cleverly avoided difficult questions
Vietnam U23 will gradually improve.
Coach Kim Sang-sik certainly noticed the weaknesses in the forward line. The South Korean coach himself made adjustments in the final stages of the match against Laos U23.
The Vietnam U23 team will perform well in the upcoming matches.
Photo: Ngoc Linh
Specifically, coach Kim Sang-sik at times pushed midfielder Nguyen Van Truong quite high up the pitch, utilizing his technique and ball control to disrupt the Laotian U23 defense. Van Truong himself also had several powerful shots, putting the goal of the young Laotian team under threat.
In addition, coach Kim Sang-sik also deployed Khuất Văn Khang more often on the left wing, bringing in Viktor Lê to support that wing, forcing Đình Bắc to move into the center, thereby training him to operate more in the opponent's penalty area.
These adjustments allowed the Vietnam U23 team to get closer to the Laos U23 team's goal, creating more difficulties for their opponents in the final minutes of the match. In addition, the remaining striker on the Vietnam U23 squad, Nguyen Ngoc My, also came on in the 76th minute (replacing Dinh Bac). This could be a personnel preparation for the upcoming matches.
The road is still long, and the Vietnam U23 team still has opportunities to make adjustments, especially considering that our two opponents in the group stage, Laos U23 and Cambodia U23, are quite weak. The important thing is that before the knockout rounds (semifinals, finals) take place, Coach Kim Sang-sik's team completes these adjustments and finds the best formula to compete for the title.
Watch the Mandiri Cup™ 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Football Championship live and in its entirety onFPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-ma-khong-thang-noi-campuchia-nghi-gi-den-vo-dich-dong-nam-a-185250720165858214.htm
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