WHAT DO YOU SEE IN U.23 VIETNAM?
The journey to defend the Southeast Asian title of the U.23 Vietnam team started with doubts. Fans were worried when coach Kim Sang-sik eliminated many experienced players such as Van Cuong, Xuan Tien... to choose some new factors. The unconvincing victories against U.23 Laos and Cambodia could not satisfy everyone. However, in the semi-finals and finals, the U.23 Vietnam players showed the true class of the top championship candidate.
Well-deserved championship of U.23 Vietnam
U.23 Vietnam (right) matured after winning the Southeast Asian championship KHANG
PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN
Against U.23 Philippines, U.23 Vietnam played completely dominatingly, creating many scoring opportunities. Despite being behind, coach Kim Sang-sik's players were not shaken and maintained constant pressure. When creating such pressure, goals were only a matter of time. Finally, Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac took turns scoring, helping U.23 Vietnam come from behind to win 2-1 and advance to the final. In the final match against host U.23 Indonesia, the champion's mettle was even more evident. U.23 Vietnam did not hold the ball much, but still controlled the game. We took the lead after Cong Phuong's decisive kick and then played tight defense, ready to create quality counterattacks. U.23 Indonesia's crosses, throw-ins, and central attacks were all neutralized.
Coach Kim Sang-sik: 'U.23 Vietnam won because they knew how to turn pressure into motivation'
The talented boys
U.23 Vietnam played so well that the top scorer Jens Raven had to exclaim: "They played too tightly and closed in too quickly, making things difficult." In the second half, when U.23 Indonesia raised their formation to attack continuously, U.23 Vietnam still made fans feel extremely secure, not afraid of the opponent scoring. That was also the reason why the players and coaching staff of U.23 Indonesia at times could no longer keep a cool head.
The ability to attack the flanks and arrange set pieces of U.23 Vietnam is also very impressive. Mr. Kim has "sharpened" these attacks, making it impossible for opponents to defend. Coach Garrarth McPherson once declared that he would be able to neutralize U.23 Vietnam's high balls, but U.23 Philippines still collapsed after 2 headers.
THINGS TO IMPROVE
However, U.23 Vietnam still has many weaknesses. First, the strikers wasted too many opportunities. Even Dinh Bac - the best player of the tournament - missed many good opportunities. Coach Kim Sang-sik admitted many times that poor finishing was the problem of U.23 Vietnam. Next, U.23 Vietnam sometimes lacked concentration and decisiveness, clearly shown in the 2 goals conceded in the matches against U23 Cambodia and Philippines. The mentality of the match is also a point to pay attention to. Some players lacking international experience such as Anh Quan and Le Viktor have not been able to fully develop their abilities due to being nervous. Fortunately, these players have played better with each match and will certainly be more confident in the upcoming tournaments.
Overall, U.23 Vietnam has gained a lot after this tournament. Mr. Kim has clearly seen the strengths and weaknesses, as well as found new factors such as Xuan Bac and Cong Phuong to continue to perfect their strengths and test new tactical options. More importantly, the spirit of solidarity and the desire to contribute of the players is a positive signal for the future. If the force is supplemented with quality factors from the V-League (such as overseas Vietnamese player Tran Thanh Trung), the strength of U.23 Vietnam promises to be even more formidable. The 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship is therefore not only a temporary achievement, but also a premise for Vietnamese youth football to rise up to conquer bigger goals in the region and continent.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuc-vo-dich-cua-u23-viet-nam-qua-gia-tri-185250731220852495.htm
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