Viktor Le's formula for success

Unlike at Hong Linh Ha Tinh, Viktor Le only played a supporting role in U23 Vietnam. But when he came off the bench in the match between the home team and U23 Bangladesh, the Vietnamese-American left a strong impression. That could be the formula that coach Kim Sang-sik wants to apply to this 21-year-old player.

U23 Vietnam did not win easily

Before U23 Vietnam entered the opening match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers against U23 Bangladesh, many opinions affirmed that the "Young Warriors of the Golden Star" would easily defeat their opponents. The South Asian representative had gone 6 years without knowing the taste of victory in an official tournament. On the contrary, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team had just won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship with a record of 4 wins in 90 minutes of play.

Entering the match at Viet Tri Stadium ( Phu Tho ) against U23 Bangladesh, Coach Kim Sang-sik used most of the key players who won the regional tournament with him last month. They were goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien; central defenders Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Pham Ly Duc and the midfielder quartet Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Phi Hoang and Vo Anh Quan.

Up front, Nguyen Dinh Bac - the best player in the Southeast Asian tournament - was given the opportunity to play freely, creating coordination situations in many areas. Perhaps, coach Kim Sang-sik only used two other names that rarely played, Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Ngoc My.

U23 Vietnam started quite smoothly with a goal in the first half, after a powerful pass from Dinh Bac to Ngoc My. However, nearly 30 minutes later, coach Kim Sang-sik's team was stuck in finding a way to reach Bangladesh's goal. The South Asian representative knew himself and his opponent. They proactively defended in two layers with a number of players surrounding the penalty area. In that context, coach Kim Sang-sik decided to bring Viktor Le onto the field in the 58th minute. That was also when the positive turning point for U23 Vietnam began.

The appearance of Viktor Le brought a more prominent appearance in the attack phase for the home team. The "Young Warriors of the Golden Star" coordinated with each other at a higher density inside and outside the Bangladesh penalty area. The number of dangerous attacks by U23 Vietnam increased dramatically. As for Viktor Le, he had 3 times made the opposing team's goalkeeper sweat with his shots. In one of them, the Vietnamese-American player scored the winning goal 2-0. In the other two shots, he hit the crossbar and the opponent's post respectively.

Viktor Le scored the first goal for U23 Vietnam.

Coach Kim Sang-sik was right.

“Congratulations to Viktor Le for his performance against Bangladesh. He tried his best and scored his first goal for the Vietnamese national team,” coach Kim Sang-sik praised the 2003-born player at the post-match press conference. The Korean strategist proved that his use of Viktor Le was appropriate, when he maximized the player’s ability during a certain period of the match. “Viktor Le is a quality player,” coach Kim Sang-sik said. “Depending on the opponent, I will consider using him appropriately to maximize his ability.”

Looking back at Viktor Le's previous journey in his first time working with Coach Kim, when U23 Vietnam participated in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Finals, this overseas Vietnamese player was often used in the role of a "supporting actor". This is completely different from the "main role" that Viktor Le took on at Hong Linh Ha Tinh . However, at a higher level, facing competition from many better players of the same generation, Viktor Le could not naturally win an official position.

It is known that coach Kim Sang-sik has met and talked privately with this player many times. He clearly understands that Viktor Le's somewhat fanciful mentality and the pressure from the title of overseas Vietnamese sometimes make him unable to have the necessary stability when playing. In the context of both objective and subjective factors affecting Viktor Le, it is appropriate for the Korean coach to use this face in the role of a strategic reserve.

“I was a bit nervous before entering the match with U23 Vietnam in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. As coach Kim Sang Sik once said, I have not yet demonstrated 100% of my ability in the Southeast Asian tournament,” Viktor Le shared with the media. “But the first goal for Vietnam helped me relieve the pressure that has been around me for the past month. This milestone promises to help me be more confident to continue contributing to the Vietnamese national team. I am quite satisfied with what I showed on the field, especially in the last 15 minutes of the match. U23 Vietnam created some good coordination. Unfortunately, my teammates and I were not lucky in the final situations.”

It would not be surprising if coach Kim Sang-sik continues to use Viktor Le in a similar role when U23 Vietnam faces Singapore or Yemen. During a certain period of the match, this player can demonstrate his strength, observation and finishing ability to create breakthroughs for U23 Vietnam.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/cong-thuc-thanh-cong-cho-viktor-le-i780368/