Vietnam confident before opening match of SEA Games 33

The U22 Vietnam team will have their opening match against the U22 Laos team at 4 p.m. this afternoon (December 3) at Rajamangala National Stadium (Bangkok, Thailand). The match is in Group B of the men's football event of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games - SEA Games.

The Vietnam U22 team practices in preparation for the opening match against Laos U22 on the afternoon of December 3.

After more than a year of continuous and serious preparation, described by the leadership of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) as “the best possible”, U22 Vietnam entered the 33rd SEA Games with the mindset of a team on the rise.

In the press conference before the match on December 2, coach Kim Sang-sik said: "I hope that in Vietnam, everyone will watch on TV and many Vietnamese fans will come to Rajamangala Stadium to support the team. We will be determined to bring home the best results."

This is the first time Mr. Kim has attended the SEA Games as a head coach and his excitement is evident in every statement. The expectations for U22 Vietnam are huge, but he affirmed that the team is in a good state of preparation, high concentration and spirit ready for the journey in Bangkok.

The change, pushing the opening match of the men's football event of the 33rd SEA Games one day earlier is a significant change in the preparation plan. However, according to VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu: The team has adapted quickly and proactively. The U22 Laos team coming to the 33rd SEA Games also had a long training period in Thailand and brought to the congress a youthful squad with clear changes in organization, especially in playing style.

Mr. Ha Hyeokjun also showed a remarkable spirit of determination, expressed through his metaphorical statement: “There is a saying: “When people do, Heaven is watching.” We have tried our best and prepared very carefully. As for the results tomorrow or the following matches, perhaps only Heaven knows.”

He also emphasized that the match took place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Laos' National Day and that it was a strong spiritual motivation for young Lao players.

At the 33rd SEA Games, the men's football tournament only uses U22 players. In Group B, Vietnam is in the same group with Laos and Malaysia. Group A includes Thailand (host), Timor-Leste and Singapore. Group C has three teams: Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. After the round-robin group stage, the three group winners and the best second-placed team from the three groups will advance to the semi-finals.

TIEN MINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/viet-nam-tu-tin-truoc-tran-mo-man-sea-games-33-post927550.html