Coach Kim poured his heart and soul into it, strongly urging U.23 Vietnam: Be braver!

Despite having difficulty launching attacks against Cambodia, coach Kim Sang-sik still appreciated the players' efforts and emphasized careful preparation for the semi-final match against U.23 Philippines.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is proud of his students.

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (in Jakarta, Indonesia) after the match between U.23 Vietnam and U.23 Cambodia in the group stage of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship on the evening of July 22 was empty because the home team did not play. But in a corner of the stands, a group of Vietnamese fans were still cheering enthusiastically. This was also the motivation for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to overcome the difficult match against Cambodia to advance to the semi-finals.

Vietnamese fans in the stands

PHOTO: VFF

The match was played without spectators, both teams observed a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the boat capsize in Ha Long.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

In fact, U.23 Vietnam did not dominate the match as expected and was almost held to a draw by U.23 Cambodia, and the players also played below their best. However, coach Kim Sang-sik still praised the players and encouraged them to prepare for the semi-final match against U.23 Philippines on July 25.

Coach Kim Sang Sik congratulated the whole team in the locker room after the match.

"I have a few words after today's victory to the players who haven't played today and the players who have played today. You have worked very hard. We have two more matches ahead of us. You have to think of both upcoming matches as finals, including the semi-final against the Philippines. We have to prepare well. For the next two matches, we have to manage our bodies well, both physically, eating and resting are very important. We are performing very well and everyone should be more confident, more courageous. Everyone should trust each other and play well," said coach Kim in the locker room after the match.

Secret Weapon

In the post-match press conference, coach Kim Sang-sik also expressed his satisfaction with the victory of U.23 Vietnam: "First of all, I feel very happy about this victory. Winning 2 matches in the group stage is thanks to the efforts of the players and the enthusiastic cheers from the fans. In the semi-finals, we will face U.23 Philippines and we will prepare carefully to win."

Coach Kim Sang-sik at the post-match press conference

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Talking about the problem of the attack scoring few goals while the defense shines "reluctantly", the Korean strategist considers it a secret weapon:

The defense shining with goals is the "secret weapon" of coach Kim.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

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"Those three goals came from our central defenders, Ly Duc and Hieu Minh (2 goals). This is a strong point of our students and I hope they will continue to score in the semi-finals and final. However, I also hope that other players will have the opportunity to shine," he said.

Coach Kim assessed that the Philippines is an “easier” opponent than the host team Indonesia, but that does not mean that U.23 Vietnam can be complacent. U.23 Philippines also had an impressive performance in the group stage, especially with a 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the opening match. They entered the semi-finals as the second-best team in the group with a squad that includes many naturalized players and good physical condition.

Watch the full 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Football Championship Mandiri Cup™ on FPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-kim-doc-gan-ruot-doc-thuc-manh-me-u23-viet-nam-hay-dung-cam-hon-nua-185250723135151198.htm