U23 Vietnam: Decision at SEA Games 33

The Vietnam U23 team has won a ticket to the final round of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship after winning all 3 matches in the qualifying round of Group C. However, their performance was still not convincing.

Finishing is the problem of the Vietnam U23 team - Photo: NGOC LE

It's still a bit early to praise or criticize at this time because the final destination of U23 Vietnam is the SEA Games 33 gold medal in Thailand and a good performance at the U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia early next year.

Unfinished version

Within 2 months, the U23 Vietnam team won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and won a ticket to the 2026 Asian U23 Championship - a pretty good achievement for young players. However, despite not conceding any goals in the recent 2026 Asian U23 qualifying round, finishing ability is still a problem for U23 Vietnam.

Although scoring 12 goals in both tournaments, the number of missed scoring opportunities of the U23 Vietnam players is many times more. Among them, Quoc Viet has not scored any goals in both tournaments.

Dinh Bac, after playing outstandingly in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship with 2 goals, also failed to score in the 2026 Asian U23 qualifiers. The same is true of Van Khang - the player with the longest seniority in the current U23 generation.

In that context, fortunately the remaining strikers of U23 Vietnam have managed to score in the last 3 matches. Ngoc My and Viktor Le scored in the 2-0 win over U23 Bangladesh. Van Thuan and Thanh Nhan scored the only goals in the two wins over U23 Singapore and U23 Yemen.

Struggling to score goals against opponents of equal or weaker level, coach Kim Sang Sik, more than anyone, clearly saw the limitations in the attacking front of his students. Especially against opponents who played with a difficult grip like U23 Indonesia in the final of U23 Southeast Asia 2025 or U23 Yemen in the recent match. But overcoming this is not something that can be done overnight.

At the end of the qualifying round, I have drawn out some points that need to be improved. I have discussed and reminded the players to be calmer in the penalty area, more focused in decisive situations. When returning to the club, the players need to continue to improve towards the 33rd SEA Games.

Coach Kim Sang Sik

Must continue to improve

Commenting on the performance of U23 Vietnam in the 2026 U23 Asia qualifiers, expert Phan Anh Tu said that the team did not create any breakthroughs in attack despite controlling the game.

Mr. Tu analyzed: "Coach Kim Sang Sik continuously changed the starting lineup of U23 Vietnam in the last 3 matches. This makes it difficult for opponents to predict and also maintains good physical strength for his players.

The first half lineup will "destroy" the opponent's physical strength. When the opponent is exhausted and gradually loses concentration, that is when Mr. Kim sends new attacking players onto the field to score goals. That is Mr. Kim's philosophy. U23 Vietnam does not need to score many goals or play beautifully, but always ensure a solid game before looking to score.

Coach Kim Sang Sik focuses on SEA Games 33 in December in Thailand - Photo: TTO

Compared to the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the Vietnamese U23 players have matured a lot in their playing style and spirit. They implemented Mr. Kim's tactics and intentions relatively well. The Vietnamese U23 will play even better at the 33rd SEA Games.

Expert Doan Minh Xuong also said that U23 Vietnam is on the path of gradual improvement so the performance is not yet spectacular. He said: "With what has been shown, the U23 Vietnam players have shown more and more courage. In the last three matches, they have controlled the game. The U23 Vietnam's playing style may not be fast or well coordinated, but it clearly shows a modern football mindset."

"In addition, Mr. Kim also constantly changes the squad to gradually improve the players. Hopefully, from now until the end of the year, U23 Vietnam will mature and improve professionally to win the championship. And in 2026, they will participate in the U23 Asian Cup with the best force and form. From this foundation, the Vietnam team will have many reinforcements from U23 players," Mr. Xuong added.

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NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/u23-viet-nam-quyet-dinh-o-sea-games-33-20250911092833767.htm