U23 Vietnam vs U23 Laos: Why is coach Kim Sang Sik worried?

U23 Vietnam is expected to take all 3 points in the opening match of U23 Southeast Asia, against U23 Laos at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon (July 19), but why is coach Kim Sang Sik still very... worried?

Will win and win easily

Putting it on the scale, the difference in class between U23 Vietnam and U23 Laos is something that needs no debate, when the squad that coach Kim Sang Sik has in hand has so much international competition experience.

Meanwhile, although bringing to the tournament a few faces that have appeared at the national team level, U23 Laos is still considered a weak team in Group B.

An overwhelming match, complete control of the game and winning 3 points is the predicted scenario for the defending champions. However, the question is how much the U23 Vietnam team will win and how convincing the team's performance will be in the opening match.

U23 Laos (red shirt) is not a match for U23 Vietnam

Why is coach Kim Sang Sik worried?

An easy victory for U23 Vietnam is entirely possible, but because the opponent is not strong, coach Kim Sang Sik has to carefully calculate how to approach the match.

If he puts out his strongest lineup, the Korean captain can help his key players warm up, test their coordination and effectiveness in the tactics they have honed.

But the price to pay may be closely scrutinized, because formidable opponents competing for the championship like U23 Thailand or Indonesia are the real test.

But coach Kim Sang Sik still has many concerns in long-term calculations for U23 Vietnam.

On the contrary, if he keeps many key players of the U23 Vietnam team on the bench to avoid revealing their cards and save energy, Mr. Kim risks losing the opportunity to evaluate the optimal performance of the squad - something that is very necessary when the team has only been together for a short time.

That hesitation is reasonable, because U23 Vietnam came here not only to win the championship but also to experiment for the future. But how far to experiment and in what circumstances is always a difficult problem for the Korean captain. With the pressure of defending the championship title that U23 Vietnam is holding, every calculation must be careful.

Therefore, the match with U23 Laos is considered a test of U23 Vietnam's strength as well as the wisdom and strategy of coach Kim Sang Sik, so the Korean captain has every reason to be worried even though the opponent is not too difficult.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u23-viet-nam-dau-u23-lao-vi-dau-hlv-kim-sang-sik-uu-tu-2423337.html