With U.23 Vietnam missing two key central defenders, what can they do to overcome U.23 South Korea?

Central defender Pham Ly Duc is suspended for the next match due to a red card, while Nguyen Hieu Minh is seriously injured. This leaves Vietnam U23 without two key central defenders for the third-place match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship against South Korea U23 on January 23.

Find solutions to overcome weaknesses in defending against aerial balls.

One detail that's easy to notice is that from the moment center-back Hieu Minh suffered a serious injury and was forced to leave the field in the 30th minute of the semi-final match against China U23, the entire Vietnam U23 team's lineup became noticeably disorganized.

Ly Duc (left) and Hieu Minh (number 4) will be absent from the third-place match against South Korea U23 on January 23.

Defender Ly Duc is suspended for the third-place match.

Photo: TED Tran

Since losing Hieu Minh, the Vietnam U23 team has not only weakened its defense but also its ability to win one-on-one challenges, as well as lacking attacking options in situations where they are awarded corner kicks. This stems from the fact that Hieu Minh (1.84 m) is the player with the best physique on the Vietnam U23 team (excluding goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien) and is the best at playing aerial balls.

Now, with center-back Ly Duc suspended, the Vietnamese U.23 team faces even greater difficulties. Like Hieu Minh, Ly Duc (1.82 m) is also a good one-on-one competitor for the Vietnamese U.23 team, capable of defending against aerial balls and participating in attacks.

Vietnam U23 suffers heavy defeat against China U23: Missed out on the final.

Finding replacements for the two aforementioned players is an urgent task for coach Kim Sang-sik. He has two reserve center-backs at his disposal this year: Nguyen Duc Anh (1.75 m) and Le Van Ha (1.84 m). Duc Anh and Van Ha lack the professional and international experience of Hieu Minh and Ly Duc. However, the South Korean coach probably has no better options. As for Le Van Ha, the hope is that he will be good at winning aerial duels.

Find a suitable playing style and recover your spirits.

In terms of playing style, the Vietnam U23 team needs to play more defensively than in the semi-final against China U23. Facing South Korea U23, Coach Kim Sang-sik's team will almost certainly have to play a counter-attacking style. We need to compete better than in the match against China U23, defend better against aerial balls, and wait for opportunities in counter-attacking situations.

The Vietnam U23 team needs to quickly restore their morale.

Photo: TED Tran

Unlike the match against China U23, in the third-place playoff against South Korea U23, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac may be used from the start to take advantage of his ball control ability and create pressure on the South Korean defense. This is to prevent the opponent from comfortably pushing their formation forward, thereby allowing them to easily increase the pace of attack in Vietnam U23's half of the field.

The next important task is for the Vietnamese U23 players to recover their morale after the recent defeat. Our mission at this year's U23 Asian Championship is not over; the players still have one more match to seek a medal at this continental tournament. Without good morale, Coach Kim Sang-sik's players will face even more difficulties against the strong South Korean U23 team.

Watch the entire 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship on TV360 at https://tv360.vn. Enjoy a smooth multi-platform experience, rewind and replay, and free Viettel 4G/5G data.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-thieu-2-trung-ve-tru-cot-lam-gi-de-vuot-qua-u23-han-quoc-18526012102375544.htm