U.23 Vietnam ready to win first match: 'Pressing the button' on the journey to defend the throne

At the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, the U.23 Vietnam team will face U.23 Laos. The goal of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team is nothing other than a victory against the team from the land of a million elephants, thereby adding confidence to the journey to defend the throne.

POSITIVE APPEARANCE

The match against U.23 Laos at 5:00 p.m. on July 19 marks the first official match of coach Kim Sang-sik at the youth level. After more than a year since working in Vietnam and achieving success with the national team, Mr. Kim's appearance is expected to bring a new wind in terms of tactics and spirit to U.23 Vietnam.

Coach Kim Sang-sik and his students during the training session on July 17.

Photo: VFF

The U.23 team trains hard.

Photo: VFF

Commentator Vu Quang Huy said: "Previously, U.23 Vietnam was often led by acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh. When taking charge of U.23 Vietnam, Mr. Vinh still conveyed to his students what he had learned from coach Kim Sang-sik. But this time, when Mr. Kim directly leads the team, things may be different. I believe that the determination and fighting spirit of the young players will change. At this U.23 Southeast Asian tournament, U.23 Vietnam will have a more positive appearance."

Striker Nguyen Quoc Viet (19) won the Southeast Asian Championship with U.23 Vietnam in 2023.

PHOTO: NGOC DUONG

With the goal of winning Group B to advance to the semi-finals, U.23 Vietnam needs to defeat Laos. The levels of football in the land of a million elephants have never been a match for Vietnam. In addition, the victory in the opening match is also a measure of the careful preparation of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team over the past month with adequate conditions. "Compared to players of the same age, U.23 Vietnam currently has a team with a lot of experience. Coach Kim Sang-sik currently has many players who have played for the national team, and there are names that have won the U.23 Southeast Asian Championship in 2023. All lines of U.23 Vietnam have outstanding factors. I have no doubt about the ability of coach Kim and his team to win in the opening match of the regional tournament", affirmed commentator Quang Huy.

Sharing with the media before the training session on July 17, midfielder Nguyen Phi Hoang - one of the players who participated in the U.23 Vietnam team that won the U23 Southeast Asia Championship 2023 - said: "This is the second time I have participated in the tournament and every time I gather, I set a goal to win the championship. The second time is just like the first time, I always aim for the best results, determined to bring the championship trophy home to the fans."

Photo: VFF

At present, U.23 Vietnam is a force highly appreciated for both experience and skills. Tran Trung Kien (1.91 m tall) is likely to be a key defender in the U.23 Vietnam goal. He won the AFF Cup 2024 in the Vietnam national team. Names such as central defender Pham Ly Duc, midfielder Khuat Van Khang, Le Viktor, Nguyen Van Truong, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac all appear regularly in the V-League arena. Meanwhile, Nguyen Hieu Minh and Nguyen Quoc Viet also play a pivotal role in their club's colors when playing in the national first division. This is the factor that makes U.23 Vietnam highly appreciated.

U.23 Vietnam c PREPARING PLAN FOR THE ROAD AHEAD

On the other hand, U.23 Laos entered the tournament with low expectations. The opening match against U.23 Cambodia ended in a 1-1 draw, which somewhat reflected the team's strength. They tried hard but were limited in squad depth and battle prowess. Before the tournament, U.23 Laos head coach Ha Hyeok-jun said: "We have players who have played for the national team. The goal is to improve individual ability and prepare for the future. Hopefully this tournament will be a good foundation for Laos to develop and prepare for important upcoming tournaments such as the U.23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games."

The U.23 Laos squad consists of many young players with limited international experience. Some bright spots include captain Khounthoumphone or Damoth Thongkhamsavath (who played in the V-League last season for Thanh Hoa Club). But that is not enough for coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team to create a balanced match against U.23 Vietnam. According to commentator Quang Huy, U.23 Laos is rated much lower, but U.23 Vietnam still needs to enter the match with the highest spirit: "I think the U.23 Vietnam players need to play their best to see how far they can go. If they achieve favorable results after the first half, the coaching staff can make more calculations in the second half. Coach Kim Sang-sik can give opportunities to many other names, especially new players, to test their form and ball sense. Thereby, the coaching staff will have more options in the next stage of the tournament".

The opening match against U.23 Laos is a match in which U.23 Vietnam may not only aim for a simple victory. This is also an opportunity for Mr. Kim and his colleagues to test the squad and tactics through actual combat. From there, the Korean coach will give an overall assessment, in order to prepare for bigger challenges ahead, including the key match against U.23 Cambodia in the final round of Group B or further, the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament.

LE V ANT HUAN RETURNS TO U.23 VN

Striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan unexpectedly suffered a ligament injury to his left ankle during a training session on the evening of July 16 and will not be able to recover in time to compete in the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament. Coach Kim Sang-sik has called up midfielder Le Van Thuan to supplement. Van Thuan (Thanh Hoa Club) has just been honored as "Best Young Player of V-League 2024 - 2025". According to the plan, he is in Jakarta today, July 18.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-san-sang-thang-tran-dau-tien-bam-nut-hanh-trinh-bao-ve-ngoi-vuong-185250717183439127.htm