U22 Vietnam determined to win the opening match

The opening match of a tournament is always a difficult challenge for many teams and the Vietnam U22 team needs a smooth start to aim for the goal of winning the men's football gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games.

"Unknown" U22 Laos

Coach Kim Sang-sik's team is in Group B, along with Laos and Malaysia. These are also the two teams that faced the Korean strategist in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In this group, U22 Laos is underestimated, with little chance of advancing further into the tournament. However, football always contains many surprises and the team that wins the opening day of the tournament will have many advantages in the race for a place in the semi-finals of the men's football SEA Games 33.

U22 Laos brings to the 33rd SEA Games a young squad of players who are the core of the national team that competed in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Real-life experience in the continent's top playground helps the young team of the "million elephant" country mature quickly and make remarkable progress.

In addition, coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team is familiar with the philosophy and playing style of Vietnamese football under coach Kim Sang-sik. This is demonstrated through the results of the two encounters with the Vietnamese team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. In the match between the two teams at Go Dau Stadium, coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team was defeated 5-0 by the Vietnamese team. However, in the rematch at home, the Lao team caused many difficulties, making coach Kim's team struggle to win thanks to two goals in the final minutes of the match.

Therefore, the goal of winning big against U22 Laos in the first match of Group B of the 33rd SEA Games men's football is not an easy task for U22 Vietnam. However, if they overcome this challenge, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will be relieved of pressure and more confident when entering the match against U22 Malaysia to determine the top position in the final group.

U22 Việt Nam quyết thắng trận ra quân - Ảnh 1. — U22 Vietnam had their first training session on the afternoon of December 2 in Thailand. (Photo: NGOC LINH)

Opportunity to review the lineup

Vietnam U22 is one of the three candidates competing for the gold medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games, along with host Thailand and Indonesia U22. The core of the "golden star warriors" are the players who just won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and won a ticket to the 2026 Asian U23 finals with a perfect record in the qualifying round.

During the FIFA Days in 2024-2025, the Vietnamese youth football team will have the best conditions to practice, train, travel, and compete with strong opponents in the continent. Regularly "training" together helps the U22 Vietnam players grasp the philosophy, tactics and tactics of the coaching staff and "get along" every time they play on the field.

Despite having a series of talented Vietnamese football players, coach Kim Sang-sik also proactively used a group of players who have played for a long time for the U22 Vietnam team to aim for the SEA Games 33 gold medal. The Korean strategist is famous for his ability to read the game sensitively, rotate the squad appropriately, and change the game at lightning speed.

The match against U22 Laos is also a valuable opportunity for the Korean coach to review the squad before creating a solid framework to enter the key matches.

In addition to the task of winning with a large score difference, U22 Vietnam also needs to preserve its strength and limit injuries to be able to compete for the top spot in Group B with U22 Malaysia on December 11.

At 7pm on December 3, host Thailand will also have their opening match of the tournament when they welcome Timor Leste. This is an opportunity for the Golden Temple team to win the first 3 points in their journey to compete for the 33rd SEA Games gold medal.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/u22-viet-nam-quyet-thang-tran-ra-quan-196251202213446005.htm