SEA Games gold within reach

U22 Vietnam has gathered in Vung Tau with a list of 28 players, aiming for the 33rd SEA Games gold medal. This is considered a "must-achieve" target, but looking at the current force, it can be seen that it is a completely possible task, even within the control of coach Kim Sang Sik.

Unlike many previous SEA Games, this time U22 Vietnam has 6-7 players who are or have been on the national team. Not only are they “named”, they are also players who have played at the highest level such as Van Khang, Dinh Bac, Thai Son, Thanh Nhan.

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U22 Vietnam currently has a squad of outstanding quality at SEA Games 33.

This is the group of players that form the backbone and ensure professional quality that is superior to the regional average. The rest of the squad is also made up of experienced international faces, having participated in many youth tournaments over the past year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s biggest rivals are not entering the 33rd SEA Games with favorable conditions. Thailand is unlikely to be able to call up its strongest squad, as the Thai League is still in play and clubs are not likely to release players easily. Indonesia is also facing a similar situation as some key players are playing abroad, and the possibility of their clubs accepting their return to training is still open.

With the advantage of long-term preparation, almost the strongest force and a year of intensive international competition, U22 Vietnam is considered the number 1 candidate for the 33rd SEA Games gold medal. It is not an exaggeration to say that coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are currently "unrivaled" in the regional arena.

But…

Ignoring the results in the Panda Cup for testing reasons, however, it is the professional performance of U22 Vietnam in those 3 matches that is worth discussing, even in the victory against U22 China.

The only positive point that can be seen in Coach Kim Sang Sik's students is their tenacious spirit and refusal to give up. The rest of the U22 Vietnam team is much more worrying. The team's attack line appears to lack ideas, rarely creating well-rehearsed coordination situations to break the opponent's defense, not to mention the rather low efficiency.

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But to succeed in the U23 Asian Cup is different.

Most notably, the defense, despite possessing the most ideal height in many years, the defensive ability of coach Kim Sang Sik's students in high ball situations is very bad.

The team's two goals conceded in the Panda Cup both came from crosses into the penalty area, where defenders were confused in judging the landing point and contesting.

The U22 Vietnam midfield lacked a coordinator, leading to the situation where the ball was circulated to the opponent's half of the field and then forced to pass back due to a lack of ideas.

Overall, with the current force, SEA Games 33 can be an "easy game" for U22 Vietnam. But to reach the "big sea" of the U23 Asian Finals, where opponents have superior physical strength, tactics and discipline, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team need a real professional transformation.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u22-viet-nam-khi-dich-nham-khong-chi-la-vang-sea-games-2465991.html