If U.23 Vietnam loses, they will... go home: Must rise up and defeat U.23 Malaysia to enter the semi-finals

U.23 Vietnam will face U.23 Malaysia in the final match of Group B (December 11) with the mindset of having to win, and that is... a good thing for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.

U.23 Vietnam only has one way left to win

On the afternoon of December 6, U.23 Malaysia won 4-1 against U.23 Laos to take the lead in Group B of the men's football competition at the 33rd SEA Games. The victory of the "Tigers" put U.23 Vietnam in a must-win position in the final round.

If they draw or lose to U.23 Malaysia, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will finish second in the group and are at risk of stopping.

In fact, a draw against Malaysia would also help U.23 Vietnam have a chance to become the best second-placed team in the group to enter the semi-finals. However, Dinh Bac and his teammates have never entered the field with the mindset of a draw, no matter who they face in Southeast Asia.

U.23 Vietnam must beat U.23 Malaysia in the final round to secure a ticket to the semi-finals.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

The 8 consecutive wins in the official tournament recently are clear proof. Although U.23 Vietnam has not yet entered the groove, the attack is still lacking in lines, the finishing is not sharp, but this is a team built to win. The "backing on the wall" situation, forced to win against U.23 Malaysia only brings more motivation for U.23 Vietnam to put all their efforts into a fair match. The half-hearted, indecisive style of play as shown against Laos cannot exist in the life-or-death match in Group B.

It would be hasty to consider the match against Laos as a reference for the strength of U.23 Vietnam. Because in previous SEA Games championships, Vietnamese youth football also had unconvincing matches.

At SEA Games 30 (2019), U.23 Vietnam was deadlocked against U.23 Singapore, only able to win 1-0 thanks to Duc Chinh's header.

At SEA Games 31 (2022), U.23 Vietnam was also held to a 0-0 draw by weak opponent U.23 Timor Leste in the first half, at home. In the second half, Coach Park Hang-seo's team found a way to win.

To win a championship, you cannot play well in every match. Along with tactics for each match, there is also a long-term strategy, where the final joy (winning the final match) is always more important than the first smile (winning the opening match).

The shortening of the number of matches in SEA Games 33 puts more pressure on strong teams to hide their cards, hold on, and calculate their timing.

U.23 Vietnam has not yet given their all

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

In the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship, U.23 Vietnam also had a hard-fought victory over U.23 Laos (leading 1-0 and facing many deadlocks) or U.23 Cambodia. But then, Mr. Kim's students still raced to the throne.

Although he could not create a smooth and beautiful playing style for U.23 Vietnam, the Korean strategist still ensured victory. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team played and corrected, adapted flexibly and adjusted promptly.

The problems of U.23 Vietnam were revealed early, right in the opening match. Dinh Bac and his teammates had 7 days to fix mistakes and study their opponents. It is no longer strange that young Vietnamese football players play better and better, especially when the current generation of players has the same potential as their seniors and is coached by a coach with a lot of talent.

Transformation

U.23 Malaysia took advantage of U.23 Laos's physical weakness to complete a big victory.

When U.23 Laos lost strength in the second half, more gaps were exposed, U.23 Malaysia took advantage of them thanks to their strong runners and impressive short-distance acceleration. 4 goals of the "Tigers" came from lightning-fast transitions or effective wing attacks.

However, U.23 Vietnam is no stranger to the technical, speedy and 1v1 style of play of U.23 Malaysia. Over the past decade, the young Vietnamese teams have never let Malaysia hold them to a draw, let alone lose, because they have read their opponents' "playbook" carefully.

With a 3-center-back formation, along with strong wingers like Van Khang, Phi Hoang (left) and Anh Quan, Minh Phuc (right), U.23 Vietnam is capable of solving the problem on the wing. At the same time, coach Kim Sang-sik's wing-backs are capable of one-on-one combat and read situations well. Against an opponent who presses hard and relies on attack as a foundation like U.23 Malaysia, U.23 Vietnam needs to maintain a good formation distance and calmly exploit loopholes.

That is the factor that Mr. Kim's students have in abundance.

The core of the U.23 Vietnam squad has played 16 matches since the beginning of 2025 (8 official matches and 8 friendly matches), facing opponents from various playing styles. Thanks to that, the players have learned how to read the game to adapt and solve problems.

U.23 Malaysia will bring a difficult problem both physically and mentally for U.23 Vietnam. However, a flexible spring always needs compression to bounce back.

U.23 Vietnam is being suppressed by doubts and pressure of being eliminated. If they release at the right time, coach Kim and his team will have a ticket to the semi-finals.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-thua-la-ve-phai-vung-len-quat-nga-u23-malaysia-de-vao-ban-ket-185251206163719381.htm