Vietnam U23 and the fascinating 'right-hand code' in the historic penalty shootout: Coach Kim is incredibly talented, Thanh Nhàn reveals…

The bronze medal match at the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship between Vietnam U-23 and South Korea U-23 on the morning of January 24th had to be decided by a tense penalty shootout after the two teams drew 2-2 in 120 minutes. Behind that breathtaking victory are a series of special stories: from the spirited willingness of the young players to take penalties to the calculated tactics of coach Kim Sang-sik.

Coach Kim Sang-sik gave a 'historic' instruction when his players volunteered to take penalties.

After 120 minutes of intense back-and-forth play, the Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 teams were tied 2-2, forcing the bronze medal match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship to go to a penalty shootout. In that decisive moment, the Vietnam U23 players did not wait for instructions but proactively volunteered to take the shots.

Thanh Nhàn stepped up to take the penalty...

Thanh Nhàn sealed the victory with a spectacular penalty kick.

Photo: Ted Tran

Coach Kim Sang-sik gave only one brief but crucial instruction: focus your shots to the right. The reality on the field showed that 6 out of 7 successful penalties for the Vietnam U23 team followed the "code" the South Korean coach had instructed. It wasn't until the final penalty kick that Thanh Nhàn chose a different approach, but still calmly finished the shootout.

Sharing his thoughts after the match, Thanh Nhàn said: “I had a feeling the goalkeeper would dive to the left, so I decided to shoot in the opposite direction. I did what my teammates could in the final penalty shootout. The whole team played with more than 200% effort.” The player also mentioned the moment when the Vietnam U23 team faced a disadvantage when Đình Bắc received a red card, and Coach Kim Sang-sik's instruction to prioritize defense to protect the goal. “I dedicate this victory to the fans,” Thanh Nhàn said.

Cao Van Binh is excellent.

We cannot fail to mention goalkeeper Cao Văn Bình, the unsung hero of the Vietnam U23 team in the penalty shootout. Before the opponent's decisive penalty kick, Văn Bình even asked Trung Kiên for his opinion on the direction of the shot. In response, Trung Kiên pointed to his temple, implying that he should trust his own judgment. And that trust was rewarded with a crucial save.

“The coaching staff and goalkeeping coach had thoroughly analyzed the penalty-taking habits of the South Korean U23 players. In the final penalty kick, I looked into the opponent's eyes and saw him glance to the right corner, so I reacted immediately,” Van Binh shared.

After defeating South Korea U23 on penalties, Vietnam U23 won the bronze medal at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This is the second time in history that Vietnamese youth football has won a medal at the continental level – a memorable milestone achieved through resilience, belief, and small but decisive details.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-and-the-extremely-interesting-right-side-secret-in-a-series-of-historical-discussions-that-the-gold-gem-reveals-the-legend-18526012409274733.htm