1. As expected, U23 Vietnam won all 6 points after two matches, scored 5 goals and only conceded 1 goal, and won a ticket to the semi-finals as group leader.

Facing a Cambodia team that was rated lower, the red team completely controlled the game, created many clear opportunities and maintained constant pressure.

Even though the opponent equalized at times, coach Kim Sang Sik's students still showed their mettle and patience to preserve the victory after goals from Ly Duc and Dinh Bac.

In theory, there is nothing to complain about when U23 Vietnam has done everything right and enough to ensure the journey in the tournament continues smoothly.

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U23 Vietnam completed the group stage goal with 2 wins. Photo: VFF

2. The score of 2-1 did not reflect the one-sided game that U23 Vietnam created. The disease of wasting opportunities, which appeared in the match against U23 Laos, continued to recur in an alarming way.

Statistics show that Mr. Kim Sang Sik's students launched about 25 shots towards the U23 Cambodia goal, but the success rate was very low.

The deadlock and lack of luck of the U23 Vietnam attack was clearly shown through a thoughtful detail: before Ly Duc scored the opening goal, the strikers of coach Kim Sang Sik only hit the goal frame once.

Creating overwhelming opportunities but not being able to convert them into goals is the biggest problem of U23 Vietnam at the moment. Haste and lack of precision in the final shots have turned clear opportunities into sighs of regret in the stands.

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But there are still too many regrets for coach Kim Sang Sik about the quality of the attack line.

3. Witnessing his players miss too many opportunities, Coach Kim Sang expressed his disappointment on the sidelines many times. But, perhaps this is not the time for the Korean captain to feel regretful.

To be more specific, instead of regretting, what is necessary for Mr. Kim Sang Sik and U23 Vietnam to do is to increase the effectiveness in both attacking and finishing, if they do not want the semi-final against the Philippines to fall into a "difficult" situation.

If U23 Vietnam continues to waste opportunities as seen, it means failure. The lesson that U23 Malaysia will encounter with the upcoming opponent of coach Kim Sang Sik and his team is an example that could not be clearer.

Whether or not Vietnam U23's journey at the Southeast Asian U23 tournament will reach the final depends entirely on how coach Kim Sang Sik adjusts his team in the coming days.

Highlights U23 Vietnam 2-1 U23 Cambodia:

Watch the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship live and in full on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/u23-viet-nam-muc-tieu-hoan-thanh-va-dung-tiec-nuoi-2424773.html