Vietnam U23 team actively training in Indonesia - Photo: VFF
"We set the highest goal in this tournament. To me, every opponent deserves respect and needs to be carefully prepared," coach Kim Sang Sik shared.
Maximum concentration
The U23 Vietnam team had their third training session in Indonesia to prepare for the opening match. Coach Kim Sang Sik carefully trained his players on team coordination and transitions from defense to attack and vice versa.
At the same time, Mr. Kim is still actively reviewing the squad to best prepare for the match with U23 Laos. Although considered stronger than the opponent, the U23 Vietnam team cannot be subjective because youth football always has hidden surprises.
The Vietnamese team beat Laos 5-0 in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup in Binh Duong in March. Coach Kim Sang Sik's starting lineup at that time did not include any current U23 players. Khuat Van Khang was only allowed to enter the field in the 80th minute to replace Hai Long, when the score was already 4-0.
Meanwhile, U23 Laos has 4 starting players in this match: goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip, center back Phetdavanh Somsanith and central midfielder pair Chanthavixay - Damoth Thongkhamsavath.
Therefore, the experience of the Lao players cannot be underestimated. Not to mention, coach Ha Hyeok Jun also understands his compatriot Kim Sang Sik very well after that encounter in Binh Duong.
Yesterday (July 16), Mr. Kim sent two assistants to watch the Laos and Cambodia U23 matches to take notes and analyze the opponents. For his part, Mr. Kim went to watch two matches in Group A on July 15 to assess the strength of the opponents he might meet in the semi-finals.
Coach Kim Sang Sik has an important task to help U23 Vietnam defend the Southeast Asian throne - Photo: HOANG TUNG
Perfecting the gameplay
With two consecutive championships in 2022 and 2023, U23 Vietnam is a strong candidate for the championship. Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad is evenly matched in talent and has a lot of experience.
Not only does the U23 Vietnam team have 8 players who have played for the Vietnamese national team, including Trung Kien (goalkeeper), Ly Duc, Van Khang, Thai Son, Van Truong, Dinh Bac, Quoc Viet and Thanh Nhan, but it also has many other outstanding talents, especially the Russian-Vietnamese midfielder Viktor Le.
The remaining important thing for coach Kim Sang Sik in his first time leading the Vietnam U23 team is to connect the excellent players and build a reasonable playing style. Unlike the Vietnam team, Mr. Kim does not have a quality striker like Xuan Son or Tien Linh in the Vietnam U23 squad. None of the four strikers that Mr. Kim brought to Indonesia are real strikers.
U23 Vietnam currently has many players with good speed and skillful techniques. That is why coach Kim Sang Sik decided to build a style of play that focuses on ball control, small group coordination in a narrow area. The ball is circulated from the midfield, coordinated with the wing and taking advantage of the second ball when the opponent breaks.
It can be seen that this style of play is operating quite effectively. Quoc Viet, playing highest on the attack line, scored 2 goals in a closed friendly match with U23 Taiwan during a training trip in Ba Ria - Vung Tau . Or Van Truong took advantage of the second ball to score a goal from outside the penalty area in this closed friendly match.
The opening match against U23 Laos will be the first step for the U23 Vietnam team to prove their ability and play their style of play. Even the second match against U23 Cambodia cannot be difficult for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team. However, taking advantage of the two matches against two opponents considered weaker to further improve their playing style will be very important for the knockout round. Because here, the U23 Vietnam team will have to face strong opponents such as Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines.
U23 Vietnam's opponents held each other to a draw in the opening match
On the evening of July 16, the U23 Laos team drew 1-1 with U23 Cambodia in the opening match of Group B of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship held in Indonesia. U23 Laos took the lead in the 19th minute thanks to Phousomboun. But a beautiful goal from outside the box by Phat Sokha (minute 56) helped U23 Cambodia tie the score 1-1.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/u23-viet-nam-vua-tap-vua-quan-sat-doi-thu-20250717092203448.htm
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