U22 Vietnam - U22 Laos (4:00 p.m. today): Dinh Bac and Thanh Nhan are starting players

(Dan Tri) - U22 Vietnam entered the opening match of Group B, men's football at SEA Games 33 against U22 Laos. Although this was the first match, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team had to exert all their strength as the group stage only had two matches.

Coach Kim Sang Sik: "U22 Laos has made remarkable progress, but U22 Vietnam will win"

"SEA Games 33 is a very important tournament for U22 Vietnam, and that is also true for U22 Laos. Coach Ha Hyeok Jun has helped U22 Laos make remarkable progress. Tomorrow is the opening match for both teams. For a group of only three teams, each match is decisive. We must win to create a chance to continue. The whole team needs to maintain the highest concentration for tomorrow's match," Coach Kim Sang Sik opened the press conference at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand on the afternoon of December 2.

Coach Ha Hyeok Jun shakes hands with coach Kim Sang Sik (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).

Coach Kim Sang Sik and Coach Ha Hyeok Jun know each other quite well, both are from Busan, South Korea. In the past, the two have faced each other several times at the national team level, as well as at the youth level. Talking about his experience facing Coach Ha Hyeok Jun during the preparation for U22 Vietnam at SEA Games 33, Coach Kim Sang Sik said he has great respect for his colleague, who is also a fellow countryman.

"In the most recent match, my team won 2-0 against coach Ha Hyeok Jun's team. However, his mark on Lao football is very clear, especially the Laos U22 team, from the way of organization to the way of playing. I always respect his ability. In the past time, we have focused on analyzing and building the most suitable plan to prepare for the match with Laos U22," said Mr. Kim Sang Sik.

Laos U22 coach confident of creating surprise against Vietnam at SEA Games 33

"We are well aware of the importance of the SEA Games and have prepared thoroughly for the tournament. I am confident that the team can create surprises, and everything within our capabilities is ready. Tomorrow, I just hope the players will perform their best, but the result is unpredictable," coach Ha Hyeok Jun of Laos U22 opened a press conference at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand on the afternoon of December 2.

Coach Ha Hyeok Jun and Coach Kim Sang Sik attended the press conference before the match (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).

In Group B, U22 Laos is not rated as highly as U22 Vietnam or U22 Malaysia in finding a ticket to the semi-finals, however, coach Ha Hyeok Jun said that does not mean he and his students will give up hope of passing the group stage.

“To qualify for the group stage, winning one game and drawing one game would be enough, although reaching the semi-finals is never easy. We have two players currently playing in Thailand, they are of high quality and can create a positive effect for the team to aim for victory,” he said.

Khuat Van Khang: "The match against U22 Laos is unpredictable"

According to Van Khang, U22 Vietnam needs to improve their ability to connect and finish. These are issues that coach Kim Sang Sik has been training his players for a long time.

Personally, Van Khang believes that he will get better results than the previous SEA Games in Cambodia: “I attended the previous SEA Games but the results were not as expected. With this SEA Games, we are determined to achieve the best results. I think it is pressure but also motivation for my teammates to advise and try to achieve the best results.”

Khuat Van Khang and his teammates on the training ground (Photo: VFF).

Evaluating the opponent in the opening match, the captain of U22 Vietnam emphasized: "U22 Laos played very well, with many players playing in the national team. In football, nothing can be predicted, but certainly U22 Vietnam will do their best to win."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/u22-viet-nam-u22-lao-16h-hom-nay-dinh-bac-thanh-nhan-da-chinh-20251203145708518.htm